What is youth Youth classification developed in the UK and Europe as a result of construction - Essay Example

?What is youth? What is youth? Introduction Youth ification developed in the UK and Europe as a result ofconstruction. According to Ansell (2005), there are numerous historical, social and cultural contexts that have influenced the social construction of the meaning of youth. Around 1600, very minimal attention was focused on children and children wages provided critical financial support to the families (Marsh, 2001). In 1700, the UK and other European countries were still depended on agriculture and child labour was essential in improving the productivity (Bassani, 2008,p 19). In mid 1700s, young people were still working at an early age such as 8 years and girls could be married at the age of 10 years (Swingewood, 2000). There was high infant mortality as almost one third of the children died before the age of 15 years. Additionally, the life expectancy varied between 30 and 40 years (Fulcher and Scott, 2009). The nuclear family formed the basic socialisation unit and most of the population lived in rural villages (Pandey, 1984, p 265). During this period, more than half of the young people aged about 15 years were engaged in domestic service and this formed the transition from the parental home to the marital home (John and Plummer, 2008). The UK had not implemented a formal state system of education and no laws could guarantee the education of children. Although the youth did not exist, legislation on legal age of sex, marriage and employment led to the social construction of young people as youth (White and Wyn, 2010, p 77). In early 1800, the age of consent to sex occupied debate on the nature of adulthood and childhood. Although Sir Edward Coke Secular law of 1275 had granted marriage at the age of 12 years, subsequent laws like 1576 had prohibited sex with a woman child of below 10 years. In 1700, Italia and German introduced laws that provided the age of consent to sexual activity to be 12 years (Wallacxe and Cross, 1990). The Enlightenment concept increase the age of consent to sexual activity to 11 years in late 18th century while countries like France finally increased the age of sexual activity to 13 years for both girls and boys in 1863 (Barry, 2005). Consequently, UK increased the age to 13 years in 1875 while other countries like Portugal, Spain and Denmark followed the same. For instance, the health and morals of apprentices Act of 1802 banned the working of young people in textile factories for more than 12 hours while the factory Act of 1833 provided that children aged 9 to 13 years should not work for more than 48 hours in textile factories. In addition, the factory Act 1833 enforced compulsory school attendance of 12 hours a week for children aged less than 13 years (Stones, 2008). The UK implemented the 1870 education Act that established School Boards to provide education to children aged 5 to 11 years while the 1878 Factory and Workshops Act completely banned the employment of young people below the age of 10 years due to health and safety issues. The UK government also provided assisted education through the Assisted education Act of 1891 and raised the school leaving age to 14 years in 1918. In 1973, the UK increased the school-leaving age to 16 years and currently the age has been set to 17 years for students who joined the compulsory education in September 2008. The UK legislation on employment has also contributed to construction of the youth. For instance, the Children and Young persons Act 1933 prohibited the employment of young people below the age of 13 years. Currently, minimum employment age as been set in line with the school leaving age of 16 years. Young people over the age of 16 years, but below the age of 18 years are identified as young workers and are prohibited from working in certain industries especially where the job entails contact with toxic chemicals or where there is a danger of physical injury (Hammer, 2003, 356). In addition, the legal marriage age is either 16 years where the consent of parents or guardians is required or 18 years for the mutual consent of the two parties to the marriage (David, 1998). It is clear that legislation on child labour, education, human rights and marriage law has influenced the construction of youth as the people aged between 16 to 24 years. Consumerism and globalisation have influenced the formation of a global youth identity. The youth are associated with particular sports, products and fashions (Brake, 1980, p 298). Trendy dressing, new hip hop music and social networks have part of the global youth brand (Craib, 1997). Companies like Coca-Cola, Puma and Zara clothing stores have designed products that are geared at meeting the youth needs. According to Marxist theory, the youth culture can be attributed to the capitalism economy that have forced many young people adapt new norms and values (Hammer, 2003). The youth have rebelled against the old values and beliefs on dressing, music and sports thus forming a new sub-culture that is unique with youth in every part of the world. The new youth culture can be attributed to the structure of the global economy, the employment level of youth and class in the society (Roche, et al 2004). Main social policy and impact on young people The European Union has initiated a comprehensive youth policy that entails promoting education, training and ensuring more equal opportunities for youths in the labour market. In 2005, the European Union member nations adopted the European Youth Pact that aims at advancing youth employment integration and reconciliation of working life with family life (Abbott & Wallace, 2005). The main priorities of the policy are widening the access to vocational training, reducing down the number of school leavers and promoting youth mobility. The EU youth strategy of 2010 to 2018 ensures that youths have active citizens and attain social inclusion in the society (White and Wyn, 2010). Comparison with youth in third world countries Classification of youth differs with that of UK and Europe. For instance, youths in third world countries start working at early ages due to extreme poverty and lack of education opportunities (Abbott & Wallace, 2005, p 45). At the age of 10 years, young people in third world countries seek employment in casual industries in order to supplement the little incomes of their parents. At the age of 14 years, youths in third world countries are classified as grown ups and can own property (Kassem, Murphy and Taylor, 2009). Some of the third world countries do not guarantee free basic education to children thus forcing many girls to get married as co-wives at an early age (Roche, et al 2004). In addition, African traditions like female circumcision and other traditions that mark adulthood force many of the young people consider themselves as adults at an early age. Ideally, youths in UK and Europe have access to better social services and enabling development environment thus fosters education of young people and prohibits the employment of children. Reference list: Abbott, P& Wallace, C. 2005.An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives, London Routledge. Ansell, N. 2005.Children, youth and development. London: Routledge. Barry, M. 2005.Youth policy and social inclusion: critical debates with young people. London: Routledge. Bassani, Cherylynn. (2008). ‘Five dimensions of social capital theory as they pertain to youth studies’, Journal of youth studies, 10(1): pp 19-67. Books for an introduction to sociological theory: 2009. Brake, M. 1980.The sociology of youth culture and youth subcultures: sex, and drugs and rock ‘n’roll? London: Routledge. Craib, I. 1997.Classical Social Theory: An Introduction to the Thought of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel, Oxford: Oxford University Press. David, Taylor. (1998). ‘Social identity and social policy: engagements with postmodernism theory, journal of social policy’, 27, pp 329-350. Fulcher, J. and Scott, J. 2009.Sociology. 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2011. Hammer, T. 2003.Youth unemployment and social exclusion in Europe: a comparative study. London. Polity Press. John J and Plummer, Ken . 2008. Sociology a Global Introduction, London: Prentice Hall. Kassem, D., Murphy, L and Taylor, E. 2009. Key issues in childhood and youth studies. New Jersey: Routledge. Marsh, Ian. 2001. Sociology: Making Sense of Society, Harlow, Pearson Educational Pandey, R. 1984. Sociology of youth. London: Sterling. Roche, J. et al (eds). 2004. Youth in Society: Contemporary Theory, Policy and Practice. London: Sage. Stones, R. (ed). 2008. Key Sociological Thinkers, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Swingewood, A. 2000. A Short History of Sociological Thought, (3rd Edition) Basingstoke: Macmillan. Wallacxe, C and Cross, M. 1990. Youth in transition: the sociology of youth and youth policy. London: Flamer Press. White, R.D and Wyn, J. (2010). ‘Youth and society’, Journal of youth and society. Vol 3(1): pp 60-89. Read More