Introduction: Rethinking Young People’s Lives Through Space and Place

Traditionally, in sociological research, space is often simply viewed as context or backdrop for the object of analysis. Space for the most part is taken for granted. However, the relatively recent “spatial” turn in sociological research illustrates that space is not simply context for research but rather space is process, and in process (Gulson, 2011), it informs practice. Foundational works by scholars like Lefebvre (1991) cement the idea that space is socially produced and therefore should not be seen as “natural.” Space is not independent of human activity, rather its meanings is constructed through social relations of people both inside and outside of it.