The Development of Longitudinal Youth Research

This chapter traces the evolution of longitudinal youth research design and practice, drawing on insights from Australia and the UK since the 1940s. Reflecting societal anxieties about the role of young people during times of social change, longitudinal youth research was originally dominated by large-scale, survey-based studies the design of which was modelled on medical research. Access to survey-based longitudinal youth research was enhanced in the 1960s by the development of computer technology, enabling the analysis of complex data. Interest in longitudinal youth research was given impetus in the late 1970s and early 1980s by concerns about youth transitions, as youth labour markets began to collapse, and post-compulsory educational participation expanded. This period also saw the emergence of qualitative longitudinal youth research programs which have contributed to research in which qualitative and quantitative tools and analysis are designed to be complementary. Drawing on a range of examples, the chapter argues that the strengths of longitudinal youth research are in its capacity to inform policy and to contribute to the development of new conceptual landscapes. The chapter concludes with a discussion of key methodological, ethical and political challenges for longitudinal youth research.