Possibilities for Learning between Childhoods and Youth in the Minority and Majority Worlds: Youth transitions as an example of cross-world dialogue

Citation

Punch S (2015) Possibilities for Learning between Childhoods and Youth in the Minority and Majority Worlds: Youth transitions as an example of cross-world dialogue. In: Wyn J & Cahill H (eds.) Handbook of Children and Youth Studies. Singapore: Springer, pp. 689-701. http://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-4451-15-4_28

Abstract
This chapter argues that more effective dialogue between the Majority and Minority Worlds could enhance our understanding of childhoods across the globe. While recognizing the limitations and challenges of cross-world dialogue, it compares and contrasts youth transitions across Majority and Minority Worlds, drawing on empirical research from Bolivia, China, India, and Vietnam. The similarities of global youth transitions include the increased emphasis on education but the subsequent lack of employment opportunities and the fragmented transitions which young people face in a context of uncertainty. The key differences are that in the Majority World students struggle to complete secondary education rather than further education and tend to experience greater levels of mobility and migration. Cross-world dialogue points to the concept of negotiated and constrained interdependencies as a way of understanding youth transitions in Majority and Minority World contexts.