Overview

What are the ties that bind the 'good youth citizen' and the youth activist in the twenty-first century? Contemporary young people are encouraged - through education and other cultural sites - to 'save the world' via community projects that resemble activism, yet increasingly risk arrest for public acts of dissent. Citizen Youth goes to the heart of these contradictions, exploring the dilemmas and cultural dynamics of being young and politically engaged. Through an ethnographic study of young people working on activist causes across the three largest urban centres in one of the wealthiest nations in the world (Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, Canada), this book draws on Bourdieusian cultural sociology, feminist theories of agency, phenomenology, and political theories of the state and neoliberalism to understand what it means to be a certain kind of youth citizen in the twenty-first century. Accessibly written yet theoretically engaged, the book will be of interest to individuals both within academia and in the wider world of social movements and youth engagement.

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9781349290321

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Reviews

Citizen Youth reveals the interconnection of theoretical insights and the actual experiences of youth in an argument made more relevant and accessible through its emphasis on the beliefs and practices of individual activists. -Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies Citizen Youth makes a vitally important contribution to our as yet limited understanding of youth activism in theoretical, empirical and practical terms. While the analysis is theoretically and methodologically sophisticated, the writing style is very accessible, and the book is likely to appeal to scholarly and grass roots activists alike. Citizen Youth provides us with an engaging and richly textured portrayal of the complexities and ambivalences of youth activism. Anyone interested or involved in social movements is sure to benefit enormously from this compelling and discerning text. The British Journal of Sociology In a world overburdened by hyperbolic pronouncements about youth as a monolithic subculture, Kennelly revives and nuances earlier understandings of agency and constraint that may very well re-conceive what counts as progressive social change. Her method opens up a necessary reflective space for the symbolic economies of youth political and social engagement. Both ethnographer and astute theorist of the 'high modern' era, Kennelly's subtle and comprehensive work proposes a history of the present and a cultural representation of youth citizenship, while uncovering deep contradictions and critically re-imagining what might still be possible in 21st century liberal democracies. Kathleen Gallagher, Canada Research Chair, University of Toronto, Canada, and author of The Theatre of Urban: Youth and Schooling in Dangerous Times This richly theorised, fascinating study of young activists should be read by all social scientists. It reinvigorates debates on social movements and the problem of youth, whilst providing a much-needed antidote to the current pessimism about the possibilities of activism and the political engagement of young people. Diane Reay, Professor of Education, University of Cambridge, UK

Citizen Youth reveals the interconnection of theoretical insights and the actual experiences of youth in an argument made more relevant and accessible through its emphasis on the beliefs and practices of individual activists. -Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies Citizen Youth makes a vitally important contribution to our as yet limited understanding of youth activism-in theoretical, empirical and practical terms. While the analysis is theoretically and methodologically sophisticated, the writing style is very accessible, and the book is likely to appeal to scholarly and grass roots activists alike. Citizen Youth provides us with an engaging and richly textured portrayal of the complexities and ambivalences of youth activism. Anyone interested or involved in social movements is sure to benefit enormously from this compelling and discerning text. - The British Journal of Sociology In a world overburdened by hyperbolic pronouncements about youth as a monolithic subculture, Kennelly revives and nuances earlier understandings of agency and constraint that may very well re-conceive what counts as progressive social change. Her method opens up a necessary reflective space for the symbolic economies of youth political and social engagement. Both ethnographer and astute theorist of the 'high modern' era, Kennelly's subtle and comprehensive work proposes a history of the present and a cultural representation of youth citizenship, while uncovering deep contradictions and critically re-imagining what might still be possible in 21st century liberal democracies. - Kathleen Gallagher, Canada Research Chair, University of Toronto, Canada, and author of The Theatre of Urban: Youth and Schooling in Dangerous Times This richly theorised, fascinating study of young activists should be read by all social scientists. It reinvigorates debates on social movements and the problem of youth, whilst providing a much-needed antidote to the current pessimism about the possibilities of activism and the political engagement of young people. -Diane Reay, Professor of Education, University of Cambridge, UK

Author Information

Jacqueline Joan Kennelly is Associate Professor of Sociology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

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