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Dossier
Young People in Germany

What is it like to be growing up in Germany? Youth researchers regard 12 to 25-year-olds as a pragmatic generation who value performance, security and power. There is little discussion anymore of how society could be changed. However, it would be wrong to make any sweeping generalisations about young people.

There is great diversity among young people in Germany, which has to do with their origin, their specific situation and their social clique. They are growing up in a country that offers many opportunities, but where there is always the danger of failure. However, diverse as they may be, young people are united by one thing. They have their life ahead of them, like a blank sheet of paper. They want to decide what to do with it for themselves. And they all have great expectations, hopes and dreams.

The first text in this dossier is an interview with youth researcher Klaus Hurrelmann. It is followed by texts on the so-called Gulf War Generation, young people who seek fame, a refuge for street children, young people in the new Länder and the project Xenos against racism and xenophobia.

Young people in Germany – thinking tomorrow today