Misrepresenting choice biographies? A reply to Woodman
Misrepresenting choice biographies? A reply to Woodman
This paper provides a reply to Woodman's (2009) recent argument that youth studies often incorrectly attribute the concept of 'choice biographies' to the work of Ulrich Beck. Drawing heavily on Beck's own words, this paper contends that youth researchers might not be making this association unduly. Consideration is paid to some conceptual issues outlined by Will Atkinson, which Woodman has not appeared to consider, that challenge Beck's rejection of the relevance of structural analysis. Further, a review of some empirical evidence countering Beck's theory of 'individualization' suggests that 'middle-ground' positions in youth sociology can arguably be justified. Finally, it is proposed that Woodman's defence of Beck is partly a reflection of an alignment of focus between Beck's theoretical repertoire and Woodman's preferred method for understanding the youth period - the concept of generation.
class, ulrich beck, individualization, youth transitions, choice biography
137-149
Roberts, Steven
64f3ad9d-992d-4572-b01e-2924dffa3979
February 2010
Roberts, Steven
64f3ad9d-992d-4572-b01e-2924dffa3979
Roberts, Steven
(2010)
Misrepresenting choice biographies? A reply to Woodman.
Journal of Youth Studies, 13 (1), .
(doi:10.1080/13676260903233720).
Abstract
This paper provides a reply to Woodman's (2009) recent argument that youth studies often incorrectly attribute the concept of 'choice biographies' to the work of Ulrich Beck. Drawing heavily on Beck's own words, this paper contends that youth researchers might not be making this association unduly. Consideration is paid to some conceptual issues outlined by Will Atkinson, which Woodman has not appeared to consider, that challenge Beck's rejection of the relevance of structural analysis. Further, a review of some empirical evidence countering Beck's theory of 'individualization' suggests that 'middle-ground' positions in youth sociology can arguably be justified. Finally, it is proposed that Woodman's defence of Beck is partly a reflection of an alignment of focus between Beck's theoretical repertoire and Woodman's preferred method for understanding the youth period - the concept of generation.
Text
Roberts_JYS_2010.pdf
- Other
Restricted to Repository staff only
More information
Published date: February 2010
Keywords:
class, ulrich beck, individualization, youth transitions, choice biography
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 169595
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/169595
ISSN: 1367-6261
PURE UUID: a7c49c7d-f2ef-4f10-bf8f-e11cb7db1160
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 17 Dec 2010 16:44
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:21
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Steven Roberts
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics