A Cosmopolitan Journey?

What do young people get out of gap years? A wide range of 'official' sources acknowledge gap years as a way of becoming a global citizen and more employable at the same time. Instead of automatically assuming that gap years are a 'good thing', this book critically considers how this contemporary rite of passage could contribute to the reproduction of structural disadvantage at both a national and international level in relation to young people's routes into education and employment, and representations of difference and distinction in cultural practices.

Helene Snee, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Contents: Introduction; Cultural cosmopolitanism and gap year debates; Theorising good taste and worthwhile experiences in gap year travel; Researching gap year narratives; Encountering difference: gap year narratives of people and places; A traveller not a tourist: the value of cosmopolitan experiences; Gap year identity work: doing something 'worthwhile'; Conclusion; Appendix; References; Index.