Youth Visions of the Future: Between Stability and Structural Transformation

Abstract

This paper examines how young people in Europe represent the future; drawing on data from global and European surveys, the analysis identifies recurring themes in youth future imaginaries across both individual and collective dimensions. While personal aspirations continue to emphasize happiness, relationships, and economic stability, young people also express significant concern about structural issues such as environmental sustainability, social inequality, and geopolitical instability. To interpret these findings, the paper employs Eckersley’s framework of youth portraits (1997), distinguishing between modern, postmodern, and transformational orientations. By highlighting the coexistence of continuity and disruption, individual and structural interpretations, the results suggest a hybrid configuration in which traditional life-course expectations coexist with an increasing awareness of systemic challenges that call into question existing social and economic models.