This study examines how situationality, consciousness, and embodiment manifest in young adults’ experiences of social exclusion, as well as the coping strategies they describe. The research is framed within Lauri Rauhala’s (2005, 2014) theory of the regulative situational circuit, which provides a conceptual framework for examining how life situations and individual meaning-making shape lived experience.

Social exclusion among youth is a significant phenomenon across Europe, and understanding it from a comparative, international perspective is essential for informing education policies, youth support services, and mental health interventions. By focusing on peer-reviewed studies from both Finnish and international contexts, this research highlights cross-cultural similarities and differences in how young adults experience and respond to social exclusion.

The study addresses two central questions:

1. How do situationality, consciousness, and embodiment appear in young adults’ lived experiences of social exclusion?

2. What coping strategies do young adults use? 

By combining a phenomenological lens with a European/international perspective, the study contributes to a broader understanding of youth social experiences in multiple societal contexts. The holistic approach allows for an integrated view of psychological, social, and situational factors influencing young adults’ engagement and well-being.

This systematic literature review examined 26 peer-reviewed international (22) and Finnish (4) articles published between 2019 and March 15, 2025. Database searches yielded 345 international and 35 national (Finna) articles. Inclusion criteria were: participants aged 18–29, interviews focusing on social exclusion. Exclusion criteria were: studies related to COVID-19. The analysis was conducted following theory-guided content analysis: Rauhala’s concepts provided the conceptual framework, while themes related to social exclusion were also identified inductively from the material. Analysis proceeded from data excerpts to overarching themes, coping strategy categories, and their subcategories. This approach allowed for a holistic understanding of awareness, embodiment, and situational aspects in young adults’ experiences, as well as their coping strategies and future-oriented intentions.

The review indicates that situational, conscious, and embodiment-based aspects are intertwined in young adults’ experiences of social exclusion, with no single dimension taking precedence (Rauhala, 2014; Backman, 2015). Youth experiences cannot be understood solely through structural factors or individual choices. The findings show that embodied challenges, such as chronic illness and disrupted daily rhythms, are closely linked to situational constraints and awareness-based experiences of hopelessness. Similarly, experiences of internalized stigma and psychological burden are associated with situational factors such as educational dropout, uncertainty of residence status, and lack of family support. The significance of psychological burden is further emphasized by the fact that suicidal ideation or suicide attempts were reported in 27% of the studies (7/26), aligning with global concerns highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2023). Fostering positive attitudes supports young adults’ future optimism, persistence in education, and helps prevent social exclusion, reinforcing previous research showing that positive experiences, perceived competence, and a sense of belonging are linked to later societal engagement (Nguyen, 2023, 2024; Robinson & Idle, 2023). Following Rauhala’s (2005, 2014) holistic model, experiences and coping strategies are organized as situational, embodied, and awareness-based processes. As a practical implication, it is crucial to increase awareness in schools about gender and sexual diversity, as well as youth social exclusion. While the experiential perspective highlights the human dimension of the phenomenon, it should be complemented by structural and critical understanding. A holistic, context-sensitive approach can deepen understanding of young people’s lived experiences and inform interventions to prevent exclusion and promote youth well-being.

Backman, J. (2015). Situationaalinen säätöpiiri: Rauhalan filosofinen kädenjälki [The regulative situational circuit: Rauhala’s philosophical contribution]. In V. Tökkäri (Ed.), Kokemuksen tutkimus V: Lauri Rauhala 100 vuotta (pp. 73–102). Lapland University Press. Nguyen, T. P. (2023). An overview of social withdrawal—Hikikomori in Japan and support in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of English and Education, 15(1), 98–105. https://doi.org/10.22144/ctu.jen.2023.013 Rauhala, L. (2005). Hermeneuttisen tieteenfilosofian analyyseja ja sovelluksia (2nd ed.). Yliopistopaino. Rauhala, L. (2014). Ihmiskäsitys ihmistyössä (3rd ed.). Gaudeamus. Robinson, S., & Idle, J. (2023). Loneliness and how to counter it: People with intellectual disability share their experiences and ideas. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 48(1), 58–70. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2022.211251 World Health Organization. (2023, April 14). Suicide [Fact sheet]. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide