Exploring the Transdisciplinary Nexus of Young People's Future Livelihoods and Relational Well-Being: A Bibliometric Approach

This study interrogates the conceptual frameworks surrounding young people's livelihood strategies, particularly focusing on those contending with acute insecurity and precariousness in the Global South. A bibliometric analysis provides a critical evaluation of the shifting landscape of future work, revealing substantive gaps in literature related to young people, their wellbeing, and livelihoods. These gaps are most pronounced in the articulation of livelihood components and their interconnections with wellbeing, sustainable development, and equitable energy transitions. Addressing these lacunae, the study enhances the conceptual understanding of access within livelihoods research and advocates for the integration of a Relational Well-Being approach. This research underscores the salience of relationality in comprehending young people's future livelihoods, seeking to provide an objective nuanced understanding of the interplay between livelihood strategies and the multifarious aspects of wellbeing. In particular, the study delineates three pivotal categories for future research: examining the impact of social relationships and community networks on the livelihood strategies and wellbeing of young people; identifying the barriers and facilitators to sustainable livelihoods within the prism of Relational Well-Being; and exploring how the Relational Well-Being framework can refine existing conceptualisations of livelihood and wellbeing, aimed at forging sustainable interventions. By critically engaging with the definitions and scope of “young people” in scholarly inquiry, this study fosters a deeper engagement with young people's lived realities, their livelihoods, and Relational Well-Being, with an expanded emphasis on the Global South. The outcome of this research develops twenty possible future studies from the data analysed.