Includes bibliographical references (pages 144-178) and index.

The Neoliberal Embrace of Youth -- Youth and Capitalism in History -- The Spectre of Youth Unemployment -- Youth as a Revolutionary Subject? -- Education, Protest & the Continuing Extension of Youth.

"Youth Rising? traces and analyzes the significance of youth as a social category. Unlike other studies that consider youth through the experiences of individuals, this book examines youth as a collective and symbolic group, whose definition has expanded to encompass a greater range of ages and cultural identities. Set against the backdrop of the contemporary political economy, Youth Rising? argues that the spread of global neoloberalism is responsible for the increasing salience of youth on the global scene. The authors begin by demonstrating how youth has become embraced as a category that displaces alternative forms of identity and conveniently depoliticizes more divisive social categories. Employing both theoretical and historical analysis, they trace the development of youth within the context of capitalism, where it ultimately becomes a category for social control. However, this book also examines the overlapping phenomena of youth unemployment and student debt to show how youth issues are highly politicized, looking at specific, recent uprisings such as the Arab Spring in which youth have played a central role. Through a rigorous theoretical study that is both global and multidisciplinary in scope, Youth Rising? ultimately draws conclusions about the relationship between youth and social change"--