What is the place of young people in society today? This book presents a searching and comprehensive picture of youth, demonstrating both its diversity and singularity, and helping to dispel many of the myths, discriminations, stigmas and prejudices attached to this segment of society. Drawing on a vast empirical research exercise including over 8000 interviews and 40 focus groups in eight metropolitan areas of Brazil, this book explores the most important aspects of young people's social participation and the resulting challenges for public policy. With clear resonance beyond Brazil, this research is designed to inform youth policy strategies in the developing and developed world.

Itamar Silva is a journalist and, since 2003, Mr Silva has been a program coordinator at IBASE, the Instituto Brasileiro de Analises Sociais e Economicas in Rio de Janeiro. Before joining IBASE, Mr Silva was a member of the executive staff and a coordinator of the Community Development Program at the Bento Rubiao Foundation Center for Human Rights Defense (from 1989 to 2003). Anna Luiza Salles Souto is a sociologist and director of Polis, the Instituto de Estudos, Formacao e Assessoria em Politicas Sociais. At Polis, Ms Souto also coordinates Citizen Rights Watch, a project that monitors and analyses public policies in Sao Paulo, Brazil.