Youth Studies in Latin America is a field that combines different traditions and approaches developed throughout almost a century. These traditions can be roughly grouped as political and social commentary and analysis, the development of ‘expert’ knowledge to inform the design of social policies or interventions on the situation of vulnerable and disadvantaged youth and critical/cultural studies in search of new social arrangements, where new politics of recognition, dialogue, democracy and citizenship can take place. We present this text as a wider context for the articles that comprise this special issue on youth studies with contributions from Argentina, Chile, Colombia and México.
New directions in welfare: rights-based social policies in post-neoliberal Latin America