Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-nlwjb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-09T07:37:27.381Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

European Youth Work Policy and Young People’s Experience of Open Access Youth Work

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2021

JON ORD Open the ORCID record for JON ORD [Opens in a new window] ,
MARC CARLETTI ,
DANIELE MORCIANO ,
LASSE SIURALA ,
CHRISTOPHE DANSAC ,
SUE COOPER ,
IAN FYFE ,
KAUR KÖTSI ,
EEVA SINISALO-JUHA  and
MARTI TARU
...Show all authors
JON ORD
Affiliation:
University of St Mark & St John, Plymouth, UK email: jord@marjon.ac.uk
MARC CARLETTI
Affiliation:
IUT Figeac, Toulouse Jean-Jaurès Université, France
DANIELE MORCIANO
Affiliation:
University of Bari, Italy
LASSE SIURALA
Affiliation:
Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland
CHRISTOPHE DANSAC
Affiliation:
IUT Figeac, Toulouse Jean-Jaurès Université, France
SUE COOPER
Affiliation:
University of St Mark & St John, Plymouth, UK email: jord@marjon.ac.uk
IAN FYFE
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
KAUR KÖTSI
Affiliation:
University of Tartu Narva College, Estonia
EEVA SINISALO-JUHA
Affiliation:
HUMAK (University of Applied Sciences), Finland
MARTI TARU
Affiliation:
Tallin University, Estonia
MANFRED ZENTNER
Affiliation:
Danube University, Krems, Austria
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article examines young people’s experiences of open access youth work in settings in the UK, Finland, Estonia, Italy and France. It analyses 844 individual narratives from young people, which communicate the impact of youthwork on their lives. These accounts are then analysed in the light of the European youth work policy goals. It concludes that it is encouraging that what young people identify as the positive impact of youth work are broadly consistent with many of these goals. There are however some disparities which require attention. These include the importance young people place on the social context of youth work, such as friendship, which is largely absent in EU youth work policy; as well as the importance placed on experiential learning. The paper also highlights a tension between ‘top down’ policy formulation and the ‘youth centric’ practices of youth work. It concludes with a reminder to policy makers that for youth work to remain successful the spaces and places for young people must remain meaningful to them ‘on their terms’.

Keywords

youth workEuropean youth work policyimpact of youth workexperience of young peoplefriendship & sociability

Information

Type
Article
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 51 , Issue 2 , April 2022 , pp. 303 - 323
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ambresin, A-E., Bennett, K., Patton, G. C., Sanci, L. A. and Sawyer, S. M (2013), Assessment of Youth-Friendly Health Care: A Systematic Review of Indicators Drawn From Young People’s Perspectives, Journal of Adolescent Health, 52, 670–681 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Batsleer, J. (2013), Youthworking with Girls and Women in Community Settings. A Feminist Perspective. London Ashgate ArenaGoogle Scholar
Bessant, J. (2012), ‘Youth work and the education of professional practitioners in Australia’, in Fusco, D. (Ed.), Advancing Youth work: Current trends, critical questions, New York: Routledge, 52–68.Google Scholar
Bohn, I. (2008), The Socio-Economic Scope of Youth Work in Europe, Frankfurt/Main:.ISS (Institut für Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik).Google Scholar
Bukowski, W. M., Motzoi, C. and Meyer, F. (2009), ‘Friendship as process, function, and outcome’ in Rubin, K. H., Bukowski, W. M. and Laursen, B. (Eds.), Social, emotional, and personality development in context. Handbook of Peer Interactions, Relationships, and Groups, New York and London: Guilford Press, 217–231.Google Scholar
Bowler, R. and Razak, A. (2019), Continuities and Change: Some reflections on 21 years of anti-racist youth work. In youth and policy, https://www.youthandpolicy.org/articles/continuities-and-change-some-reflections-on-21-years-of-anti-racist-youth-work/ [accessed 09.06.20]Google Scholar
Carastathis, A. (2016), Intersectionality: Origins, Contestations Horizons, Lincoln Nebraska: UNPCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coburn, A. (2011), Building social and cultural capital through learning about equality in youth work in Journal of Youth Studies, 14, 4, 475-491CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Commission of the European Communities (1990), ‘Proposal for a Council Decision adopting an action programme to promote youth exchanges and mobility in the Community — the ‘Youth for Europe’ programme’, COM(90), 470 final, Official Journal of the European Communities (OJ), C 308, 6.Google Scholar
Commission of the European Communities (1993a), ‘Priority actions in the youth field, Activity report 1992’, COM(93), 521 final, Brussels.Google Scholar
Commission of the European Communities (1993b), Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision adopting the ‘Youth for Europe III’ programme: designed to promote the development of exchanges among young people and of youth activities in the Community “Youth for Europe” programme. COM(93), 523 final, Brussels.Google Scholar
Commission of the European Communities (2009), ‘EU Strategy for Youth – Investing and Empowering’, http://cdn02.abakushost.com/agenzijazghazagh/downloads/investing_empowering_en.pdf [accessed 15.04.2019].Google Scholar
Cooper, S. (2018), Participatory Evaluation in Youth and Community Work: Theory and Practice, Oxon: Routledge.Google Scholar
Craig, C. (Ed.), (2018), Community Organising Against Racism: ‘Race, Ethnicity and Community Development, Bristol: Policy Press Google Scholar
Council of Europe (1995), ‘All Different – All Equal’, https://www.europewatchdog.info/en/instruments/campaigns/all_different_all_equal/ [accessed 15.04.2019].Google Scholar
Council of Europe (2010), ‘Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on youth work’, 2010/C 327/1, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C:2010:327:FULL&from=EN [accessed 17.02.2020].Google Scholar
Council of Europe (2017), ‘Recommendation on Youth Work’, https://search.coe.int/cm/pages/result_details.aspx?objectid=0900001680717e78 [accessed 15.04.2019].Google Scholar
Council of Europe (2018a), ‘Youth Work Essentials’, https://www.coe.int/en/web/youth-portfolio/youth-work-essentials [accessed 23.04.2018].Google Scholar
Council of Europe (2018b), ‘Engaging, Connecting and Empowering young people: a new EU youth strategy’: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C:2018:456:FULL&from=EN [accessed 17.02.2020].Google Scholar
Council of Europe (2020a), Mission and Mandate of European Youth Centres, ˜https://www.coe.int/en/web/youth/mission-and-mandate#:˜:text=Brief%20history,of%20Central%20and%20Eastern%20Europe [accessed 04.06.2020]Google Scholar
Council of Europe (2020b), Ministerial Conferences ˜https://www.coe.int/en/web/youth/ministerial-conferences#:˜:text=The%20first%20European%20Conference%20of,of%20this%20year%20in%20Europe. [accessed 04.06.2020]Google Scholar
Council of Europe (2020c), Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on the Framework for establishing a European Youth Work Agenda (2020/C 415/01), https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A42020Y1201%2801%29 Google Scholar
Davies, B. (2005), ‘Youth Work: A Manifesto for Our Times’, Youth & Policy, 88, 5–27.Google Scholar
Davies, B. (2015), ‘Youth Work: A Manifesto For Our Times – Revisited’, Youth & Policy 114, 96–117.Google Scholar
Davies, R. (1996), ‘An evolutionary approach to facilitating organisational learning: An experiment by the Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh.’ in Mosse, D., Farrington, J. and Rew, A. (Eds), in Development as Process: Concepts and Methods for Working with Complexity. London: Routledge, 68–83.Google Scholar
Davies, R. and Dart, J. (2005), The ‘most significant change’ (MSC), technique, A guide to its use, https://www.mande.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2005/MSCGuide.pdf [accessed 12.02.2020].Google Scholar
Davis, W. M., Shoveller, J. A., Oliffe, J.L. and Gilbert, M. (2012), Young people’s perspectives on the use of reverse discourse in web-based sexual health, Culture, Health and Sexuality, 14 (9/10), 1065–1079 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deloitte (2014), A quick guide to EU Funding. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/cy/Documents/finance/CY_Finance_EUFunding2014-2020Guide_Noexp.pdf Google Scholar
Denney, R., Meaney, S., Cronin, M. and Arensman, E. (2020), The psychosocial impacts of cybervictimisation and barriers to seeking social support: Young people’s perspectives, Children and Youth Services Review 111, 104872 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Devlin, C. (2015), (Ed.), Prejudice and pride: LGBT activist stories from Manchester and beyond. Manchester: Hammer on Press.Google Scholar
Dewey, J. (1916), Democracy and Education. An introduction to the philosophy of education (1966 edn.), New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
Dewey, J. (1938), Experience and Education, (1997 edn.), New York: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Edmund, R. (2014), ‘Longing to belong: children in residential care and their experiences of peer relationships at school and in the children’s home’ Child and Family Social Work 2014, 19, 194–202.Google Scholar
Estonia (2018), ‘Youth Work Act’, https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/ee/520122013004/consolide/current [accessed 2.03.2018].Google Scholar
EC (European Commission) (2001), ‘European White paper on Youth – A new impetus for European youth’ [COM(2001), 681 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM:c11055 [accessed 02.01.2020].Google Scholar
EC (2014), ‘Working with Young people: The Value of Youth Work in the European Union’, http://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/youth/library/study/youth-work-report_en.pdf [accessed 21.04.2019].Google Scholar
EC (2015), ‘Quality youth work: A common framework for the further development of youth work, report from the expert group on youth work quality systems in the EU member states’, http://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/youth/library/reports/quality-youth-work_en.pdf [accessed 19.04.2019].Google Scholar
EC (2016), ‘A New Skills agenda for Europe’ https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/1/2016/EN/1-2016-381-EN-F1-1.PDF [accessed 24.04.2019].Google Scholar
EC (2017), ‘The Contribution of Youth Work to Preventing Marginalisation and Violent Radicalisation: A practical toolbox for youth workers & recommendations for policy makers’, http://www.injuve.es/sites/default/files/informe_coe.pdf, [accessed 15.04.2019].Google Scholar
EC (2018), ‘EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027’, available at: https://ec.europa.eu/youth/policy/youth-strategy_en [accessed 17.02.20]Google Scholar
EC (2018b), ‘Engaging, Connecting and Empowering young people: a new EU youth strategy’: https://ec.europa.eu/youth/sites/youth/files/youth_com_269_1_en_act_part1_v9.pdf [accessed 16.04.2019].Google Scholar
EC (2018c), 2019 Annual work programme for the implementation of “Erasmus+”: The union programme for education, training, youth and sport C (2018), 6572 of 11 October 2018. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/documents/annual-work-programmes_en file:///C:/Users/Jon Ord/Downloads/Erasmus+ Work Programme 2019.pdfGoogle Scholar
EC (2020), The Reinforced Youth Guarantee. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1079&langId=en Google Scholar
European Parliament (1981), ‘Resolution on Youth Activities’. Official Journal of the European Communities, (OJ), C 77, 1981, 58.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1983), ‘Resolution on a European Community Programme to promote Youth Exchange (European Youth Exchange Programme)’, OJ C 184, 1983, 22. Brussels.Google Scholar
European Youth Work Convention (2015), https://pjp-eu.coe.int/documents/1017981/8529155/The+2nd+European+Youth+Work+Declaration_FINAL.pdf/cc602b1d-6efc-46d9-80ec-5ca57c35eb85 [accessed 22.04.2019].Google Scholar
Fitzsimons, A., Hope, M., Cooper, C. & Russell, K. (2011), Empowerment and Participation in Youth Work, Exeter: Learning Matters Google Scholar
Formby, E. (2017), Exploring LGBT spaces and communities London: Routledge CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gavrielides, T. (2017), European Democracy in crisis: Building a bridge between cross-sectoral and youth-led policy in Magda, N., Marti, T. (Editors-in-chief), and Potočnik, D., Salikau, A. (Eds), Needles in Haystacks, Finding a way forward for cross-sectoral youth policy, Council of Europe and European Commission, Strasbourg Google Scholar
Graber, R., Turner, R. and Madill, A. (2016), ‘Best friends and better coping: Facilitating psychological resilience through boys’ and girls’ closest friendships’, British Journal of Psychology 107, 338–358.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heathfield, M. (1988), The Youth Work Response to Lesbian and Gay Youth, Youth & Policy, 23, 19–22 Google Scholar
Jeffs, T. and Smith, M.K. (2005), Informal Education, Conversation, Democracy and Learning, (3rd Edn.), Derby: Education Now.Google Scholar
Korkiamäki, R. (2016), ‘Friendship as Potential? The Recognition of Teenagers’ Peer Relationships at School’ ‘Open Journal of Social Sciences’, 2016, 4, 34–4.Google Scholar
Lahusan, C., Schultz, N., and Graziano, P. R. (2013), Promoting social Europe? The development of European youth unemployment policies, International Journal of Social Welfare, 22, 3, 300–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larkins, C. and Wainwright, J. (2020), ‘If rich people gave money to poor people’: Young people’s perspectives on reducing offending and implications for social citizenship, Children and Youth Services Review 110,104702CrossRefGoogle Scholar
NYA (2018), Hear by Right: Developing best practice in young people’s participation, https://nya.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Hear-by-Right-.pdf [accessed 02.06.20]Google Scholar
Novak, T. (1997), Young People Class and Poverty, in Jones, H. (Ed), A Classless Society? London, Routledge Google Scholar
Prügl, E. and Thiel, M. (2009), Diversity in Europe, London: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, J. (2006), Making a Place for Muslim Youth Work in British Youth Work, Youth & Policy, 92, pp.19–31.Google Scholar
Saldana, J. (2016), The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers, 3rd edn, London: Sage.Google Scholar
Siurala, L., Coussée, F., Suurpää, L. and Williamson, H. (2016), ‘Bridging youth work, but on whose terms?’ in Siurala, L., Coussée, F., Suurpää, L. and Williamson, H. (Eds), The History of Youth Work in Europe: Autonomy through dependency – Histories of co-operation, conflict and innovation in youth work Volume 5, Strasborg: Council of Europe Publishing.Google Scholar
Slater, J. (2015), Youth and disability: a challenge to Mr Reasonable, Farnham: Ashgate press Google Scholar
Smith, M. K. (2001), ‘What is non-formal education?’, The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education. [https://infed.org/mobi/what-is-non-formal-education/, [06.06.2020].Google Scholar
Taylor, T. (2017), Treasuring, but not measuring: Personal and social development, Youth & Policy, https://www.youthandpolicy.org/articles/treasuring-not-measuring/ [accessed [05.06.2020]Google Scholar
Thomson, N. (2012), Anti Discriminatory Practice, 5th edn, Basingstoke: Palgrave CrossRefGoogle Scholar
UNAIDS (2020), Nothing for us, without us, https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2018/july/nothing-for-us-without-us [accessed 24.10.20]Google Scholar
Unwin, J. and Wellington, J. (2001), Young people’s Perspectives on Education, Training and Employment: realising their potential, London: Kogan Paul Google Scholar
Visser, K. (2020), ‘I really wanted to stay in the same neighbourhood…’ neighbourhood choice and satisfaction in the context of forced relocation – young people’s perspectives, Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 35, (2)1, 443–460 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watkins, N. D., Larson, R. W. and Sullivan, P. J. (2007), ‘Bridging intergroup difference in a community youth program’, American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 380–402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, R. L. (2009), ‘Developmental issues as a component of intersectionality: Defining the Smart-Girl Program’, Race, Gender & Class, Vol. 16, No. 1-2, pp. 82-101.Google Scholar
Williamson, H. (2016), ‘Introduction to The “magic triangle”: balancing autonomy and dependency in the interests of youth work’ in Siurala, L., Coussée, F., Suurpää, L. and Williamson, H. (Eds), The History of Youth Work in Europe: Autonomy through dependency – Histories of co-operation, conflict and innovation in youth work Volume 5: Strasborg: Council of Europe Publishing.Google Scholar
Williamson, H. and Coussée, F. (2019), ‘Reflective Trialogue: Conclusions from the History Project – Twelve trilemmas for youth work’, in Williamson, H. and Basarab, T. (Eds), The history of youth work in Europe Volume VII: Pan-European and Transnational youth organisations & The overall lessons learned from the history project, Strasbourg: Council of Europe Google Scholar
Zandee, D. and Cooperrider, D. (2008), ‘Appreciable worlds, inspired inquiry.’ in Reason, P. and Bradbury, H. (Eds.), Handbook of Action Research (2nd Ed.), London: Sage Publications, 190–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar