First published in 1983, Youth: Expectations and Transitions deals with one of the prime concerns of social policy at the time—what does society expect of its 15 to 18-year-olds as they face one of the major periods of transition in their lives, moving from adolescence to adulthood? Are these expectations clearly defined by the culture? Do society’s expectations agree with the aspirations of young people themselves? What role does the school play in all this? Such questions have long been the concern of educators, sociologists, and cultural anthropologists.

Dr Poole adopts a framework which accommodates a developmental life-span view of the process of transition. Within her multidisciplinary framework, she examines the key questions of how Australian adolescents see themselves and their environments. What do they expect of their schools and their teachers? What leisure activities do they participate in? What sort of school would they really like? She looks at the developing perspectives and expectations of youth and then examines the transitional process itself. What, for example, influences adolescents to stay on at school or to leave? How do adolescents choose a job? What do they expect of the world of work? What are their anticipations concerning jobs, family, lifestyle? The answers to these questions are analysed and their educational and social implications discussed.