Reconceptualization of the youth concept in South Africa through improved understanding of contemporary challenges and expectations

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2012 in the subject Sociology - Children and Youth, University of Venda, language: English, abstract: The 21st Century has experienced an immense youth bulge, meaning persons in transition from childhood to adulthood now constitute the largest interest group in most nations. In addition to this, youth face numerous challenges which governments are failing to find solutions for. Most prominent among the challenges are lack of employment opportunities, poor education and skills development, limited availability of social amenities and facilities such as recreational parks. The definition of youth varies from one state or society to another. In addition, various international conventions have defined youth differently. This paper traces the youth concept taking into consideration age, transition, categories and how international conventions articulated it. A broad range of sources of literature were used to develop this paper. Having a clear explanation of youth is likely to help develop policies for eradicating the challenges that modern day youth face and also effectively implement them.