Past and Future of the Research on the Transition of Young People

This paper presents the state of the art concerning theoretical approaches in the sociology of youth. In this paper, the authors outline three paradigms or approaches in the sociology of youth – the lifecycle approach, the generational approach, and the biographical approach – and argue in favour of the third approach. The first approach is closely related to the development of functionalism. The second approach is related to the generational conflicts emerging from the 1960s onwards. Finally, the third approach best approximates current society, and adopts a perspective that reinforces methodological individualism and the social and cultural segmentation of youth. The authors maintain that the professional and family transition of young adults is a key point of reference in the sociology of youth.