This COST Action aims to understand the interrelationship of disadvantages that young people across Europe face in the process of entering the adulthood and how policies can mitigate this negative spill-over effect. Specifically, we are interested in sets of circumstances and factors that prevent young people from:
finding a decent job;
starting a family when they want;
making their voice heard in the policy processs.
The scientific challenge that the proposed Action addresses is to build awareness and mutual usability of research findings across research disciplines and societal contexts . This understanding is especially important due to the fact that life domains are interrelated and disadvantages in one domain may cause negative spillover effect in another. Based on transdisciplinary knowledge on disadvantages it is possible to propose relevant policy interventions to tackle such situations and eventually to reduce risk of social exclusion. Focus is on cross-sectoral youth policy and investment approach in social policy that represent two efforts in finding novel solutions to contemporary concerns. Yet the problem is that both are taken for granted as good solutions for youth without further in depth investigation. The Action sees its societal challenge in understanding how the approach to social investment and relevant policy interventions can be applied to young people without bringing about increase in inequality.
Project funding:
COST actions
Project results:
1. Scientific Impacts are:
Promote interdisciplinary youth research establishing a sustainable network of scientists in
research on youth studies in different disciplines. Researchers participating in the Action will
benefit from the mutual exchange of knowledge and research skills, specifically in research
practices of other disciplines in the field.
Promote a new generation of young scientists as ECIs and other researchers will increase their
knowledge and skills through Actions’ activities. Long-term benefit of the Action will be an
increased number of social scientists in different disciplines active in the field of youth transitional
disadvantages.
Improve the data situation in youth research. Geographical spread of the Action network brings
attention to existing entities and infrastructures and promotes the use of data and new
approaches, and allows for more rigorous comparison techniques.
Develop innovative methodologies to be used in future research especially in the area of
comparative qualitative methods and in comparative mixed methods
Publications in highly ranked peer-reviewed journals and an edited book authored by Action
members will refashion academic debate on youth exclusion, taking it from a single employment
focus to a multi-domain approach, which more adequately reflects the disconnected character of
the contemporary transition to adulthood.
2. Socioeconomic impacts are:
The Action aims to impact positively on strategy and the practice of policy making. This will be
achieved through regular and targeted outreach activities expanding Action results to policy
makers and youth advocacy groups.
The short-term impact is envisaged in the form of policy guidelines on developing social
investment policy measures that address the cross-domain character of youth disadvantages.
The long-term impact entails that holistic understanding of youth disadvantages has become a
common practice among policy advocates and policy makers.
Cross-domain thinking is introduced in all policy strategies and action plans that deal with the
well-being of young people. Eventually this cross-sectoral approach will help to combat youth
exclusion more efficiently.
Policy makers will be better equipped and able to optimize the allocation of resources.
More enabling environments and effective support systems for youth.
In the end, less youth at risk of social exclusion
Period of project implementation: 2018-09-19 - 2023-03-18
Project partners: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, North Macedonia, Italy, Malta, Romania, Serbia, United Kingdom, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Suomija, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Albania, Slovenia, Turkey, Sweden, Moldova
