Drawing on Derridean deconstruction, Deconstructing youth analyses the limits of dominant youth discourses, revealing the ways in which commonsense assumptions about young people are marked by contradictory expectations that actually function to create youth as a 'problem'. In response, Gabriel considers what a deconstructive approach has to offer in terms of moving beyond these conceptual limits and in opening up to more enabling possibilities for understanding youth.

Fleur Gabriel lectures in media and communication studies at Monash University.