The Anthropocene is, firstly, a discourse of the earth systems sciences. However, if humans - in all their historical, cultural, social, economic and political diversity – are differently implicated in the emergence and consequences of the Anthropocene, then Childhood and Youth Studies must critically engage with, and contribute to, debates about these planetary wide changes and their consequences for children and young people.

Well-being, resilience, and enterprise are keywords in many policy, academic and community discourses about contemporary populations of children and young people around the globe. Most often these key-words take the form of psycho-biological based encouragements for young people to care for their own physical, mental and social health and well-being, to develop their resilience, and to become enterprising in a world that is taken-for-granted as being challenging and disruptive.

This collection brings a multi-disciplinary focus to discussions about children and young people’s well-being, resilience, and enterprise to develop new ways of troubling these keywords at a time when planetary systems – atmospheric, oceanic, terran, capitalist - are in crisis.