The Making of Democratic Actors: Counting the Costs of Public Cuts in England on Young People’s Steps towards Citizenship

Darren Sharpe

doi:10.3390/soc8040111

Abstract

This paper provides a synthesis of qualitative studies, examining youth empowerment projects and initiatives that have encouraged young people to have a voice in local, regional, and national political debates. Specifically, the article examines the role of English youth services in building the spirit of citizenship in young people against the challenging question of the changing behavioural pattern and profiles of young English electorates. To do this, the paper draws on four case studies to help rethink the critical moments for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people in their journeys towards citizenship, and how English youth services understand and respond to the experiences of young people. The article presents the strengths and limitations of the youth sector to enrich and furnish the spirit of citizenship in today’s youth, and argues for a more innovative role in the part played by the state in an era of austerity.

Highlights

The key focus of youth work is to ‘enable young people to develop holistically, working with them to facilitate their personal, social and educational development, to enable them to develop their voice, influence and place in society and to reach their full potential. [1,2]This article examines how UK youth services understand and respond to the experiences of young people in the wake of austerity
The idea of ‘citizenship’ [1,2,3,4,5,6,7] is here examined in its blended forms of economic and political participation to help illustrate the different ways in which young people subjectively build, activate, and mobilise skills and capital to have voice and influence in local, regional, and national politics
Research suggests that young people living in disadvantaged communities are more likely to experience lower levels of cultural and social capital than their middle-class peers as a result of their adverse set of circumstances

Summary

Introduction

The key focus of youth work is to ‘enable young people to develop holistically, working with them to facilitate their personal, social and educational development, to enable them to develop their voice, influence and place in society and to reach their full potential. [1,2]This article examines how UK youth services understand and respond to the experiences of young people in the wake of austerity. The idea of ‘citizenship’ [1,2,3,4,5,6,7] is here examined in its blended forms of economic and political participation to help illustrate the different ways in which young people subjectively build, activate, and mobilise skills and capital to have voice and influence in local, regional, and national politics. This perspective on citizenship takes into account young people’s precious non-citizen or pre-citizenship status as they approach the age of enfranchisement and gain rights to join the labour market.

Objectives

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Discussion

Conclusion