From «hero» to «zero»: re-thinking youth in post-revolutionary Tunisia. A focus on family, state and public discourse

In post-revolutionary Tunisia unemployment, delayed marriage and socio-economic changes shape the life of the young, or at least of many of them. Many live in a condition of blocked transition to adulthood facing a complex redefinition of gender relations. While the traditional models of womanhood and manhood are under discussion, the institution of the family still defines their roles in society, and moulds this category of youth. As a political, historical and social construction, this concept underwent significant changes in the last decade. If during and soon after the revolution young men and young women were considered «heroes», agents of change, today they are more and more depicted as a problem, a threat to the national stability. In this context, the gender issues are particularly relevant to considering and discussing hegemonic narratives and counter-narratives about the young. The aim of this paper is to deal with the two categories of youth and gender, underlining their intersections and focusing on the institution of the family.