The Precarious Generation: How Policy Makers Generate Disadvantage Among Young People and What Can Be Done About It

This book draws on a wealth of evidence including young people’s own stories, to document how they are now faring in increasingly unequal societies like America, Britain, Australia, France and Spain. It points to systematic generational inequality as those born since 1980 become the first generation to have a lower standard of living than previous generations. While governments and experts typically explain this by referring to globalization, new technologies, or young people’s deficits, the authors of this book offer a new political economy of generations, which identifies the central role played by governments promoting neoliberal policies that exacerbate existing social inequalities based on age, ethnicity, gender and class. The book is a must read for social science students, human service workers and policy-makers and indeed for anyone interested in understanding the impact of government policy over the last 40 years on young people.

Judith Bessant is a Professor in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University, Australia.

Rys Farthing is a consultant based in London, UK.

Rob Watts is a Professor in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University, Australia.