Constructing youth: Young people as problem, risk, and opportunity

This paper explores the evolving perceptions and constructions of youth, focusing on their political engagement and societal roles. While youth is often defined by age or transitional life stages, it is increasingly understood as a social construct shaped by socio-political and cultural contexts. Historically, the concept of youth emerged alongside industrialization, modernization, and urbanization, framing young people as both a “problem” and a group requiring regulation and intervention. This perception persists, with youth often depicted as delinquents, agents of social unrest, or a vulnerable group at risk due to unemployment, social exclusion, and marginalization.

The study also examines how contemporary EU policies continue to oscillate between viewing youth as a problem and as a resource for societal development, highlighting the tensions in these dual narratives. Furthermore, it discusses the instrumentalization of youth in policies aimed at fostering “active citizenship” and how this perpetuates an individualization of structural issues. By analyzing historical and contemporary discourses, the paper underscores the need to challenge reductionist views and adopt a more nuanced understanding of youth as active agents in shaping their social and political environments.