This article reviews part of the literature that has intended to define the concept ofyouth. This revision diverges from a kind of transcultural analysis, carried out in the field of social anthropology, that define the term “youth” from the perspective of the westernized world, constructing a reflection on all the societies as a whole, with the parameters with which the West has perceived youth. This revision of the theoretical production, on the contrary, approaches the socio-historical discourse that defines youth in a contextualized manner, by referring to specific societies and to the historical times in which they evolve. Received: agosto 2009 Accepted: marzo 2010 How to reference this article: Villa Sepulveda, Maria Eugenia, “Del concepto de juventud al de juventudes y al de lo juvenil ”, Revista Educacion y Pedagogia, Medellin, Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Educacion, vol. 23, num. 60, mayo-agosto, 2011, pp. 147-157.