Abstract:
The topic of childhood and adolescence continues to remain in the area of sociological attention. Along the way, those characteristics of this phenomenon are revealed, which, due to their fundamental significance, can be called “existential”, and even better, “ontological”. However, the cognitive apparatus with which we approach childhood/adolescence does not always capture these remarkable characteristics. This conclusion is tested on the material of the book of memoirs and reflections “The Encyclopedia of Youth” (Epstein, Yurienen, 2017). In particular, the opinion of prof. Dm. Shalin (University of Nevada) on the book of memoirs “Encyclopedia of Youth” is critically examined. In the course of this discussion, principled considerations have been made regarding the sociological significance of the “phenomenon of youth” in society.