A bluepoint for a map of youth research in Latin America

Abstract

In the last 20 years, youth research development in Latin America has generated a broad production in different fields. This article takes account and analyses the most important efforts on this matter and their central discussions, having as sources regional reports, national states of art, national youth surveys and periodical specialized journals, as well as the main workgroups in the matter. Nevertheless, the fragmentation, incipient institutionalization and the scarce links between the social agents involved (researchers, academic institutions, governments and civil society organizations, among others) has hindered the consolidation of a field of study for itself —as Bourdieu proposes— which, in the context of a region such as Latin America (with the quantitative importance of youth and the existence of rising challenges accentuated in new generations), are of vital relevance to think youth sectors from renewed approaches. To make a stop at the road and take a look at the horizon and the prospective conditions of youth research production, are the objectives of this paper.