Rough Justice

Book excerpt: Even in an age of economic prosperity, there are young people who live on the edge of western societies and who are held accountable for their every indiscretion, sometimes even for those of others. This book employs a sociological imagination to make connections between the public issues and private troubles of youth living on the street. The narrative is pedagogical in intent, seeking to make sense of seemingly antisocial behavior, understood in the context of broader social, political, and economic concerns. In particular, it speaks to the «helping» professions of education, law, social work, nursing, psychology, and medicine.