Social Justice and Young People: Thinking About Distribution, Recognition, and Participation in Youth Studies

Abstract

This chapter brings together the fields of youth studies and theory of justice with the aim to open up a space within which it is possible to draw on different theoretical traditions and work from different places and cultures. It draws on political and social theory to outline the development of the relationship between social justice and youth in the last few decades. From a political theory approach, it states a critique of universal and neutral theories of social justice based on liberal democratic traditions that have tended to construct universal and impartial criteria to identify social wrongdoings and injustices, including those that directly affect the lives of young people. From a sociological perspective, it analyzes current and recent debates about social transformations and their capacities to create new vulnerabilities for young people. The chapter argues for a relational approach that renders visible the social, economic, and cultural context of young people’s lives. This approach also opens the idea of the pluralization of social justice in the field of youth studies to include claims of redistribution as well as recognition and participation and to challenge the western-centric construction of theoretical and empirical youth work. Ultimately, it is argued that a broader and more inclusive account of cultures and ideas can only benefit those interested in understanding and addressing social inequalities.