Youth policies in Europe: logics and actors in the field

The aim of this chapter is to capture the logic and mechanisms underlying youth policies across Europe. I take a broad sociological approach, seeking to highlight the main focuses in the functioning of these policies. In fact, while the implementation of youth polices across European countries is deeply influenced by contextual factors, including national political climates, some overarching issues of wider interest emerge, and these are relevant to processes of youth transitions. Whether youth policies are more appropriate and effective than policies in other areas is also a subject of youth studies debates. However, the conceptual framework that justifies attention to youth citizenship and youth participation is established, and foregrounds youth policies. After illustrating this mechanism, the chapter gives an overview of the institutions more directly involved in ensuring a focus on youth policies and suggests how they are linked to the theoretical framework of transitions to adulthood.