Youth in Transition: Perspectives on Research and Policy

Henry G. MacLeod teaches sociology at both Trent University and the
University of Waterloo.

The theme of the National Welfare Grants’ fourth annual research and
policy symposium was “Youth in Transition to Adulthood.” Originally
presented in 1995, the papers were revised and published in this volume
under the editorship of the symposium’s co-directors. Almost all

of the 61 contributors, a mix of researchers and policy and program
analysts, are based in Canada. Thus, a strength of this volume is its
significant Canadian content. Papers on youth in transition to adulthood
in Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States provide
opportunities for comparison.

The symposium was organized around four subthemes: facilitating youth
transitions to responsible adulthood, preparing youth for the world of
work, preparing youth for intimacy and family life, and preparing youth
for responsible community living. Thirty-two of the essays are each
grouped under one of the subthemes. Those four sections all begin with
an introductory essay that summarizes research on the subtheme in
question, reviews policy implications, and states a research agenda. Two
more sections—“International Perspectives” and “Research
Agenda”—round out the volume.

This collection is an excellent resource and reference tool, and a
useful place to begin a study of the changing needs of Canadian youth. A
broad range of topics are covered. For example, Gloria Geller writes
about the educational, occupational, and family aspirations of Canadian
university women, while Fay Martin looks at youth leaving child welfare
care. Each essay, except the concluding summary, includes a detailed
bibliography.

There are two drawbacks. First, essays that average about nine pages in
length don’t allow for in-depth analysis. Second, there is little
integration of the volume’s four subthemes, despite their obvious
connections.