Chairs:
Merja Kylmäkoski (Humak University of Applied Sciences)
Eeva Sinisalo-Juha (Humak University of Applied Sciences)
Hakan Gülerce (Harran University, Turkey)
Wednesday Nov 8th 2023 at 14.30–17.15 (hybrid)
The participation and social inclusion of young people is vital for building a sustainable future. However, the pressurization of youth, e.g. rapid transition from school to work, has caused concern recently. Furthermore, the war in Ukraine has also unsettled young people around the world. Adolescence is a period of growth and turmoil. Various cultural viewpoints contribute to determining how the expectations of others are experienced.
Through participation, young people are empowered and able to be agents in their own development as well as in their communities. Youth work and youth organizations attempt to reach young people also in more vulnerable situations. However, the real responsibility for the inclusion on the local level of young people can rest with youth councils, which are often more likely to interest privileged young people. Nevertheless, all young people must have the right to participate.
The working group explores the mechanisms of youth participation and youth-friendly, innovative participatory methods including an experimental culture in all walks of live. We seek to understand young people’s motivation for participation, unravel the practices, which accumulate participatory skills, and participatory methods. The working group aims to answer the following question: how youth participation should be developed?
The working language of the group is English. The organizer of the working work is the project Youth participation – A key to an inclusive society (Humak UAS).
Bridging Youth Participation: The Role of Youth Workers as Change Agents
Kristi Jüristo (School of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University)
Ilona-Evelyn Rannala (School of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University)
Amidst crises and changes, understanding the hope and courage of young people to participate is essential. Supporting them necessitates aiding those who work with them. This paper focuses on youth work students preparing for professional practice.
The transition from youth to adulthood has undergone destandardization, rendering demographic milestones are less predictable and more diverse (Antonucci et al., 2014; Evans et al., 2013; Arnett, 2000). Recognizing the specific needs of young adults for their growth and transitions becomes crucial. Simultaneously, we also anticipate the participation of young people. Participation is widely acknowledged within professional youth work as a pivotal principle and an outcome (Batsleer & Davies, 2010; Cooper, 2018; Ord, 2007; Sapin, 2013). Despite an extensive knowledge base concerning the developmental needs, motivational factors, and strategies for fostering their active involvement, young adults remain notably underrepresented within the field of youth work (Jeffs, 2022; Espenberg et al., 2018). Understanding the role and possibilities of youth workers in the process of youth participation is essential, underscoring the need for professional education and training in order to effectively facilitate youth participation processes (Corney, Cooper, Shier & Williamson, 2022).
This instrumental case study spans two years at Tallinn University, seeking to validate an educational engagement model enhancing youth work students’ agency and identity as change agents – supporting young adults’ participation. Encompassing approximately 15 participants per group, the study engages second-year youth work students enrolled in the ””Project Work in Youth Work”” structured around Problem-Based Learning to explore involving young adults through project work in an e-learning setting.
The paper discusses initial case study data, exploring students’ readiness for fostering young adults’ participation through project work. It also delves into students’ perceptions as future youth workers empowering young adults. Challenges faced by students in empowering young adults through youth work are also addressed.
Youth centres as third places for youth activation and opportunity creation
Daniele Morciano (University of Bari Aldo Moro, Department of Education Sciences, Psychology, Communication)
With the strengthening of the role of the regions in the field of youth policy, a new generation of youth spaces has emerged in Italy, driven by a creative culture of ”making” in which young people are actively involved in the design and implementation of projects. Different emerging cultures give shape to these spaces, using them simultaneously as learning environments, generators of networks and relationships, activators of energy, project incubators, and diffusers of innovation. The presentation aims to present a research conducted in Italy in the Puglia region on a group of cases of these spaces. The starting point was the narratives of young people actively involved in the selected youth centres. In particular, the presentation will focus on a possible model that represents the main dynamics that emerged from the analysis. A logical framework will be proposed that hypothesises a positive cycle between relationality, experiential learning, and project incubation. The model uses the concept of the Third Place (Oldenburg, 1999) as a possible lens for observing the ways in which these spaces are experienced by young people as environments in which energies, motivations, attitudes, and ideas are activated.
Youth clubs – The most well-known concept that people in general know little about?
Árni Gudmundsson (University of Iceland)
The research question is, ”What is it in work on Youth club that most people don’t know about?” The research format in this study is a qualitative method. The goal is to elicit the opinions of individuals on a phenomenon or concept. In this case, it is based on ideas of grounded theory. Data was collected through interviews. Data analysis was carried out in parallel. The number of interviews was determined to some extent by the researchers’ belief that a certain information saturation had been reached (Taylor and Bogdan, 1998). The research format was also partially ethnographic. The research question is, ”What is it in work on Youth club that most people don’t know about?” determines the choice of research method. In this case, with a purposeful sample (e., purposeful sampling) of ”typical”. In this case, people with lengthy experience working in community centres. The implementation does not consist of participation or observing the scene (e., non-participation), but by listening to people’s narratives descriptions of the stage and what takes place there (Hammersley and Atkinson, 2007). In this case, community centres.
Tell me a story from your work that is unknown to most outsiders but is nevertheless characteristic of the job. Respondents could choose an approach and topic other than what is included in the question. 25 interviews were conducted with persons aged 24 – 73, with numerous stories. In this article, there are 15 stories narrated by five women and six men.
The stories are analysed based on the theories of ”open youth work” and Cooper’s theories and definitions of common denominators, overall vision and work elements, which she believes characterize open work wherever it takes place. It is supported by Brendtro’s theories about an individual’s developmental and competence process and Furlong, Carmel and Jacobsen’s about preventive work between social services and educational and cultural activities.
Analysis and results
The analysis is complicated. Not least, since these studies are based on Jakobsen’s statement (year) that Youth clubs are the best-known concept that most people know little about. The problem is multifaceted. First of all, what is a Youth club? Second, does the statement hold? Third, if it is true, what is the unknown? Fourth, how or whether the unknown resonates with the definitions and official goals of the activity.
Characteristic factors and external unknowns are all the stories involved in prevention, not only first-level, but many second-level and some third-level prevention. Most stories include self-empowerment, citizenship, and human rights: socialization and informal learning in fewer cases. Active participation is in almost half of the stories, and democracy is less often. It shows that the unknown side of the activity is based on work on different adaptations of individuals and groups, while the visible side is with groups and work based on active and democratic participation. The results also show that the procedure and professional approach follow the theories.
Youth and freedom in the context of globalisation. The sociopedagogical remarks
Jagoda Gorecka (Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of Educational Studies)
Freedom in the context of dynamically changing reality is a significant issue of contemporary sociological and pedagogical thought. The phenomena of digitization and globalization of the various aspects of young people’s daily lives influence their views and experiences related to freedom. Hence, there is a need for in-depth research on the category of freedom in relation to the present and future of young adults in terms of education, professional career, political views, social activism or everyday activities in the sphere of the Internet and social media. The aim of the presentation is to indicate selected contexts of the globalizing world of teenagers within the scope of freedom and hope related to subjective assessments of life orientations. Moreover, the presentation is about to cover the main contemporary ideas in the field of youth identity in refer to social media autocreation and individualistic freedom. The presented contexts and narratives are part of the emerging doctoral dissertation entitled ”Youth and human freedom in the context of globalization”. The presentation aims to indicate the leading sociological and pedagogical trends that embrace the characteristic of the prospective generation of young adults in Poland. The author will present the theoretical foundations of youth research in the context of globalization, the leading methodological trends in youth pedagogy and important problems and challenges for the freedom of young adults in the 21st century.
Arts-Based Research Workshops as Contact Zones for Refugee/Migrant and Finnish Teenagers
Jari Martikainen (University of Eastern Finland)
In my presentation, I discuss the potential of arts-based research workshops to function as contact zones for young people coming from different cultural backgrounds. The presentation is based on the ongoing research project Intergroup Relations and Local Encounters – Immigrant and Finnish Young Peoples Perceptions of Each Other, Their Lives and Future in Multicultural Savo funded by Kone Foundation. In this project, young people coming from Ukraine, Middle East and Finland reflect on their lives, experiences and relations to each other as well as their future aspirations in arts workshops through photography, collage, drawing and painting. I present the contents and objectives of the three arts-based workshops included in the research project and present some preliminary findings. It seems arts-based activities may help immigrant and Finnish teenagers to map and express their thoughts and emotions and share them with one another even though they do not share a common language. In addition, it seems individual and collaborative arts-based activities can function as means of overcoming us versus them divisions as well as divisions based on language and culture – and create a contact zone that facilitates interaction and encourages young people to build new relationships. In this sense, arts-based research methods may provide means to facilitate intergroup contacts, increase social cohesion and sense of belonging.
Participation Amidst Adversity: Addressing the Educational Challenges of Displaced Syrian Youths in Türkiye
Hakan Gülerce (Harran University)
The journey towards a sustainable future is deeply intertwined with the active participation and inclusion of youth. However, for forcibly displaced youths in different parts of the world, this journey is marked by distinct educational challenges, especially at the high school level. These challenges range from linguistic barriers, economical obstacles, socio-cultural exclusion, to limited access to resources, all of which compound the complexities of adolescence. Türkiye hosts around 3.3 millions of Syrians under temporary protection status where around half a million of them are between 14-17 years old. While the broader societal shifts and global events, such as geopolitical tensions, amplify uncertainties for all young individuals, Syrian migrant students or migrants not at the school face an added layer of educational obstacles. These barriers often hinder their active participation, not just in academic settings but also in extracurricular and community activities. This paper delves deep into the intricacies of these challenges, aiming to spotlight the unique educational hurdles faced by Syrian migrant high school students in Türkiye. This paper centers on understanding the root causes of these obstacles, the motivations and aspirations of these youths, and the potential strategies to enhance their participation. The primary focus of this study is on how societies can address educational disparities and enhance the active engagement of Syrian migrant youths, whether they are in high schools or out of school, with a special emphasis on Türkiye.
Co-research through art-based action enhancing young peoples climate citizenship
Jarmo Rinne (Youth Research and Development Centre Juvenia, Xamk)
”On the Front Line of the Climate Crisis” is a four-year research project funded by the Kone Foundation. The project focuses on mapping and analyzing young peoples concerns, hopes, and wishes related to climate change and crisis. Simultaneously, it aims to strengthen youth voice and participation in matters pertaining to the climate crisis. While the project primarily operates in Finland, it also collaborates with young people across national borders in a broader geographical area.
Most young people are conscious of climate change and feel distressed about its potential unfavorable consequences for their future living conditions. In this presentation, I will discuss how critical arts-based practices and co-research can provide novel insights into young peoples awareness of climate issues, as well as how to explore their perspectives and sentiments regarding the climate crisis.
My presentation is based on empirical research data collected through art-based action research (ABAR) and co-research methods during the annual event of the Barents Region Youth Council (BRYC) in February 2023. The event, known as ””THINK GREEN,”” was organized in collaboration with BRYC and the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Lapland. During the event, participants had the opportunity to explore, map, and reflect on their subjective attitudes and participation in the context of the climate crisis and climate citizenship through various art workshops.
According to our research teams observations, art-based actions, as hands-on activities, and art as a medium significantly highlight the concerns of young people regarding the climate crisis, effectively empowering their influence on climate governance. Their role as co-researchers brings forth fresh, sensitive, and insightful viewpoints on the imminent threat and enhances their awareness of how to address the challenges of the climate crisis, and how to tackle them.
Young people’s perception of their future – how to research it in a participatory way?
Merja Kylmäkoski & Eeva Sinisalo-Juha (Humak University of Applied Sciences)
The participation and social inclusion of young people is vital for building a sustainable future. The grass-root level experiences of participation mould active citizenship, agency and support social inclusion. This is why free-time activities and hobbies are important for young people for learning participatory skills and attaining social inclusion.Gaining participatory skills brings an experience of empowerment, of hope.
In our presentation, we are discussing an xDelphi panel as a youth-friendly participatory research method for promoting young peoples participation and social inclusion. xDelphi is a GDPR compliant online method for Delphi foresight. The panellists participate anonymously, which gives them equal status in the panel.
In our research, we seek to understand young peoples vision of their participatory opportunities related to the following themes:migration; political society; well-being and loneliness;spare times, hobbies combined with non-formal and open youth work; anddigitalization. These themes were chosen together with our international research team to support our aim to reach a broad understanding about young peoples participation at the European level regarding the phenomena which are a part of their daily lives.
By exploring young peoples ideas on their participation, in the discussions related to these themes, we will evaluate the good practices as well the boundaries of their participation in the matters which concern their daily lives. In addition, we are seeking to identify the themes where young peoples participation needs to be developed the most. The research will be carried out as an international collaboration where each country will produce common comparative data and national data of their own.