Spatial Configurations of Class and Youth Inequality

Spatial (in)justice is a critical dimension of youth inequality. However, it has traditionally been reduced to urban inequality. In addition to the public space of the city, new empirical research shows the relevance of other spaces in the lives of young people, such as the private space and the virtual space. This chapter explores the unequal articulation of these three spaces, resulting in unequal spatial configurations intersected by class and gender inequalities. They have multiple implications in the daily life of young people enhancing social gaps and making unequal youth. Based on updated and established knowledge, the effect of these spatial configurations on youth inequality is examined in two relevant issues in contemporary Latin America: the growing urban violence and the recent lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Future directions for youth studies and social policy based on this broader concept of spatial injustice are suggested.