The future of the sociology of youth: institutional, theoretical and methodological challenges

The focus of this special issue of Youth Studies Australia is the future of the sociology of youth. The questions explored in this issue are outlined in this introductory paper. The authors argue that there are two central challenges of the current moment and near future. First, the concepts and approaches used have to be shaped to fit a rapidly changing world. Second, youth researchers need to work to cross national and academic borders. The papers in this collection appeal for a reinvigorated sociological imagination of the contemporary worlds of young people that can work within the nation state, while at the same time telling relational stories that cross these divisions by engaging with new forms of knowledge and approaches to research.