The lives of young people in the UK, as elsewhere in the world, have changed in dramatic ways in recent years. Important changes have taken place in the social structures and processes shaping young people's lives, including changes in schooling and in higher education, the loss of the traditional youth labour market, and shifts in the nature of family and intimate relationships.This text addresses the changing context and nature of youth, encouraging readers to understand different conceptualisations of youth, issues of identity and the key social practices that give shape to young people's lives in the contemporary period. Key Features: Introduces the key perspectives, identities and practices involved in understanding youthOffers a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to young people's livesDraws upon rich biographical case studies of young people, emphasising young people's own voices Provides a comprehensive overview of youth in the late modernityPresents a clear and accessible approach to complex issues. This invaluable book will be essential reading for students and practitioners concerned with youth and youth work, and of particular relevance for those on undergraduate across a range of social science and education courses who seek to understand youth in changing times.