Sociology of youth: 5th edition.

Summary Youth is a category with uncertain contours. At what age does it begin, at what age does it end? Sociology shows that youth is above all a passage whose boundaries and definition have evolved over the course of history and are modulated by social situations. The weakening of rites of passage, the lengthening of professional transitions and the extension of the time of experiences that tend to postpone access to full adult status until later, mean that youth is now broken down into several phases - from adolescence to young adult status - which this book attempts to describe. Having become a "classic" on the subject since its initial publication in 1991, the book identifies and explains the significant changes brought about by this general movement of social recomposition that youth sometimes undergo painfully. This 5th edition extends and deepens the presentation of European results on youth. It also updates the book by presenting recent work on the entry into adulthood, youth values, sexual behavior and adolescent culture. Olivier Galland, sociologist, director of research at the CNRS, works at the Groupe des méthodes de l'analyse sociologique (University of Paris IV and CNRS). He is a specialist in youth issues.