Youth Unemployment and Job Precariousness ― Political Participation in the Austerity Era

This book explores the relationship between youth labour market marginality and political participation, focusing on the example of Portugal and the role played by austerity policies in shaping patterns of activism. Through integrating primary and secondary empirical evidence with key ideas from classical and contemporary Sociology, the authors illustrate some of the key features of youth unemployment and job precariousness, also highlighting trends in formal and informal activist activities. Central to Youth Unemployment and Job Precariousness is the argument that following the onset of the economic crisis, there has been the birth of what we the authors term 'an austerity generation', comprised of young people facing difficulties in the labour market and uncertain futures. The book also highlights the difficulties young people have in making a political response to austerity, as well as their hopes for the future, including the need to raise consciousness about youth labour market marginalization and to return to more accountable forms of democracy.

David Cairns is Senior Researcher at the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology, ISCTE-University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal. His main research interests are in the fields of youth, geographical and social mobility, education and political participation. To date, he has almost 100 international publications, including articles in International Migration, British Journal of Sociology of Education and Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, and two books on the theme of youth mobility.

Nuno de Almeida Alves is Head of the Department of Social Research Methods at ISCTE- University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal and a member of Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology, ISCTE-IUL. He has conducted research in Portugal on young people, with particular focus upon the impact of job precariousness on transitions to adulthood. He has published several books and articles in this area and on other themes, including recent articles in Journal of Youth Studies and Time & Society.

Ana Alexandre is a Researcher at the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology, ISCTE-University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal. Her research interests include Portuguese youth, political participation and the study of the armed forces.

Augusta Correia is a Researcher at the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology, ISCTE-University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal, with research interests including youth, political participation and the environment, with particular focus upon quantitative methods.