The book brings together some of the traditional areas of youth inquiry like youth subcultures and youth unemployment. It examines the major perspectives in understanding young people and their position in society.

This text is grounded in original research. It is highly accessible to the non-specialist and written in an engaging style.

The book adopts four key principles: first, that young people are normal; second, that the youth category is a social construction; third, that young people are not a homogenous group; and fourth, that young people are active agents in their lives.

The book addresses issues such as health, suicide, unemployment, policy, media, identity, and young people as survivors or victims of violence.