Youth Futures: A Comparative Analisys of Young People across Eight European Countries

This paper explores young people's future orientations within the framework of risk and uncertainty, drawing on data from 169 narrative interviews with youth aged 18 to 29 from eight European Union countries: Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, Finland, Poland, Bulgaria, and Greece. The analysis reveals that young people conceptualize their futures in diverse ways, demonstrating varying “capacities to aspire” (Appadurai, 2004). Regardless of regional differences or individual circumstances, the central theme in young adults’ reflections on the future is a strong desire to improve their living conditions, which is most commonly associated with securing well-paying jobs with favorable working conditions.

The emphasis on access to stable employment highlights the continued importance attributed to work in shaping the life courses of these young people (Carmo, Cantante, & Alves, 2014). This finding cuts across regional and socio-economic lines, underscoring that employment remains a key factor in how young people plan and envision their futures. Furthermore, young people in vulnerable situations, regardless of whether they live in thriving or declining regions, face similar constraints and uncertainties when navigating precarious labor markets and socio-political challenges (Beck, 1992; Giddens, 1999).

Using data from these 169 interviews, this paper shows how youth in precarious conditions tend to prioritize immediate, practical goals over long-term aspirations, largely due to their limited resources and support networks (Ball, 2003). The role of economic, social, and cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1986) is critical in understanding how these young people mitigate risk and uncertainty. The findings point to the need for policy interventions that address both structural inequalities and the specific challenges faced by vulnerable youth across Europe.