Valuing difference or securing compliance? working to involve young people in community settings
Milbourne, Linda (2009) Valuing difference or securing compliance? working to involve young people in community settings. Children and Society 23 (5), pp. 347-363. ISSN 0951-0605.
Abstract
Recent UK policy changes have generated renewed public and academic interest in the contexts and purposes for work with young people. Emphasis on youth inclusion and participation as components of policy discourse associated with citizenship and community cohesion contrasts with other more regulatory trends in youth policy, while moves towards integrating local services have increased dependence on community providers. The paper draws on empirical study of community organisations working with young people to consider how recent transitions have been reflected in the experiences of community 'partners' and activities with young people. Do the greater emphases on community level involvement and young people's participation mark a shift towards more responsive, better integrated services? Research to date suggests significant gaps between how policy-makers promote inclusive services and perceptions of delivery at local level. Despite professional initiatives to create new spaces for young people to participate, dominant institutional cultures and contractually led service targets present barriers to involving disengaged young people, undermining alternative models of working. The paper argues the need for a better appreciation of the complexity and challenges of work with young people at community level, together with greater openness to diversity and risk.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Administrator |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Nov 2010 08:14 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2023 16:52 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/2217 |
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