This paper explores a range of epistemological paradigms available to understand, interpret and semiotically depict young people. These paradigms all draw upon a metadiscourse of developmental age and stage (e.g. Hall 1914) and then work from particular epistemological views of the world to cast young people in different lights. Using strategic essentialism (Spivak 1996), the paper offers descriptions of four existing paradigms, including biomedical (Erikson 1980), psychological (e.g. Piaget 1973), critical (e.g. Giroux & MacLaren 1982) and postmodern (e.g. Kenway & Bullen 2001). While some of these paradigms have been more distinct in particular cultural, historical and political contexts, they have overlapped and informing each other. Each paradigm carries unique consequences for the role of the learner, the teacher and the curriculum. The paper explores contemporary manifestations of the paradigms. From this investigation, a potential new space using concepts of subjectivity (Grosz 1994) for conceptualising young people is offered
