H.20. Youth and Generations in the Contemporary Era: Exploring Social Change

In contemporary societies, the concepts of youth and generations are frequently invoked, yet seldom subjected to a thorough examination of their meanings and implications (Threadgold, 2019).

Within a context of uncertainty and rapid change, the condition of youth and intergenerational relationships is taking on new and complex forms, recalling classical interpretative frameworks while fostering innovative analytical approaches and frameworks (Wyn, 2020).

Social sciences are thus called to address the growing inequalities that characterize contemporary modernity, examining how they shape the role of young people and generational groups, as well as their educational, cultural, and economic conditions (Furlong, 2017).

In this perspective, particular attention is required to how education, training, and processes of work inclusion or exclusion produce differentiated opportunities and constraints, influencing both young people’s trajectories and broader generational dynamics. These inequalities raise questions not only about how the situation of young people differs from that of previous generations, but also about how intergenerational relations themselves sustain or mitigate social disparities, thereby shaping collective futures.

Contributions that critically explore youth and generational phenomena from different and interdisciplinary perspectives are warmly invited. The panel seeks theoretical, empirical, and methodological reflections that engage with the transformations, continuities, and tensions shaping relationships among generations in contemporary societies, youth as a social group, and the transition to adulthood. It promotes methodological diversity, including comparative designs and quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches, to create a space for dialogue and exchange that expands the analytical and interpretative horizons of research on youth, generations, and social change.