Rural youth in southern Nigeria: Fractured lives and ambitious futures

This article draws on recent research (2017–20) into the livelihoods and imagined futures of rural youth in four communities southern Nigeria. The involved observations, sex-segregated focus group discussions individual interviews. Taking up insights from sociologists education work, our analysis shows how simultaneously navigated schooling, farming, low-paid vocational work family obligations ways that were highly gendered. We show gulf between youth’s daily lives their futures, desires for better lives, whether through ‘white-collar’ or expanded farming activities, often moving to more ‘civilised’ ‘developed’ contexts. Commitment nevertheless ran narratives, reflected a deeply gendered, sexual economy. conclude by highlighting relevance connected sociology embraces postcolonial feminist scholarship advance future studies youth, gender Global South.