The Post-1970 Generation
Issues for researching young people in Australia today
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April 1998
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Abstract
This article looks at the distinctive experiences of young people of the 'post-1970 generation' after they leave secondary school. This is the first generation of whom the majority are expected to participate in post compulsory education. The youth labour market has disappeared, to be replaced by part time and casual work mainly undertaken by students. The term 'post-1970 generation' focuses on the circumstances in which young people are living and the conditions they face, rather than on their assumed characteristics. The author examines the need for those involved in policy formulation to rethink the meaning of youth and to attempt to understand the complexities of young people's lives.
This article looks at the distinctive experiences of young people of the 'post-1970 generation' after they leave secondary school. This is the first generation of whom the majority are expected to participate in post compulsory education. The youth labour market has disappeared, to be replaced by part time and casual work mainly undertaken by students. The term 'post-1970 generation' focuses on the circumstances in which young people are living and the conditions they face, rather than on their assumed characteristics. The author examines the need for those involved in policy formulation to rethink the meaning of youth and to attempt to understand the complexities of young people's lives.