Families, children and youth at the crossroads of changing welfare systems

Abstract

Families, Children and Youth at the Crossroads of Changing Welfare Systems brings together the research findings of students from various cohorts of the Erasmus Mundus MFamily Master's programme, coordinated by ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. The contributions explore how families, children, young people, and social care professionals mobilize resilience and agency in contexts shaped by multiple and intersecting crises. Drawing on the strengths perspective, the authors examine the activation of individual and collective capacities across diverse global settings, including those affected by migration, poverty, and social vulnerability. Through participatory research approaches, they investigate the dynamic interplay between social networks and welfare systems, highlighting their contribution to adaptation, social inclusion, and equity. This volume follows the publication of Families, Children and Youth in Global Contexts (Editora Mundos Sociais, 2021), further enriching the scholarly legacy of the MFamily programme.