Youth Narratives in Denmark: Navigating Vulnerability, Belonging, and Aspirations

In our presentation, we explore the lived experiences of two vulnerable young individuals in Denmark through a 24-hour fieldwork study, unraveling the intricate tapestry of their lives. They articulate the significance of family ties, local contexts, and temporal dynamics in shaping their present realities and envisioning future trajectories.Our thematic exploration includes the articulation ofvulnerability and perceptions of social exclusion by thetwo informants. Scrutinizing the contexts and modesthrough which such aspects surface in their narratives,we aim to uncover the paths they envision towardsenhanced well-being. As our informants articulatevaried challenges in education and everyday life, our analysis discerns how youth from diverse backgroundsnavigate the complexities of adolescence.Further, we analyze the impact of societal expectations, pressure and imperatives in the daily lives ofthe informants. We explore whether they succumb todisillusionment, when and why challenges becomeoverwhelming, and how they respond to adversity—whether through isolation or seeking supportin friendships and communities. Our presentationunravels the complexities of these youth narratives,offering insights into their diverse experiences, copingmechanisms, and aspirations within their respectivesocial contexts.Methodologically, our study is grounded in the ADay In Life-experiment, a Nordic Research Networkinitiative. Each researcher, including ourselves, followed a young person (16-21 years) for one day in aNordic country, utilizing a shared set of methodological dogmas to explore the potentials of a single dayof fieldwork and dialogue, alongside collaborativeanalysis methods for synthesizing qualitative findingsacross studies