Youth and Social Capital

Social capital arising from social networks based on trust has been traditionally seen as the property of adults from which the younger generation gain benefit. Far less attention has been given to the production of social capital among young people themselves, in making the transition from dependent child to independent adult. Through findings from research groups in Finland and England, this book fills the gap by examining how young people develop and use social capital in different contexts at school and outside, in cementing friendships, in developing identity, in smoothing the passage through education and from school to work, and in resisting coercion into pre-designated adult roles. As part of the developing field of youth studies, the book will be of much interest to academics and policy makers and practitioners working with young people.