The big issue at the end of the twentieth century in Europe is the process of Europeanisation, including the widening of Europe to the East. This book draws upon a variety of sources to show how different ideas of youth were constructed in East and West Europe in the course of modernisation under both Communism and welfare capitalism. More recently modern concepts of youth have been de-constructed and re-constructed by changes in state policies, the labour market, education and popular culture so that it is no longer so clear who youth are or how they can be helped.