Course introduction:

The course is based on a comparative study between Finland and France, within EU context. The study compares essentially young women's situation, but also reflects upon youth transition to adulthood in general. The course introduces students to research conducted in advanced societies on youth transition to adulthood and the supposed prolongation of youth. In the different lectures, the actual patterns and markers of transition to the stage of adulthood are examined, based on up-to-date studies. The lectures analyse the current phenomenon of youth extension and changes within the stage of transition itself. The course enlarges towards contemporary socio-economic restructuring and highlights the influence it bears upon young people's routes of integration within the wider social sphere.

The teaching occurs via lectures and seminars. The lectures provide theoretical knowledge on particular themes related to youth transition to adulthood. In the seminars, the themes are explored deeper during group discussions based on questions and/or reading material, and students will give presentations on a small project (and project results) they are required to carry out.

Course assessment: The final grade is based on the scale 1-5, on the following requirements:

- Attendance and participation: Lectures attendance 1 op; Seminars attendance: 1 op; active participation in the discussions: 1 op.

- Project: 1 op.

- Project diary: 1 op.

Project: Students in groups of 2 or 3 are required to carry out a small project based on issues related to the course – the course convenor will provide topics, or students can choose their own. Students are expected to investigate a particular question (linked to the lecture themes) and answer to it concretely, for instance by putting in practice some research methods (eg. interviewing, visual/photographic methods, questionnaires, comparing some statistics or an issues related to youth between one’s home country and Finland, etc…). Each group of students will then give a presentation (max. 30 min long) about their project and show their results to the class.

Project diary: Students are required to write a diary on the development of their small project. They must explain why they chose a particular topic, which methods (and why) they used to enquire the question, the results they obtained, how the whole process did develop, and what they learnt. The diary should also be connected to the reading material (provided by the course convenor or own literature sources) so as to provide a richer analysis.

Length: 5-7 pages long.

Teaching - time & place

Lectures are taught on Mondays at 14-16 in PINNI A, ls. 2089

Seminars are taught on Fridays at 12-14 in LINNA  K107 - except the last seminar: takes place on Thursday 17.4., Time: 12-14, Place: Linna 6031.