Youth Work Practitioners Research Articles

Negotiating quality in open youth work: Balancing standardisation and individualised support

Formal quality assurance procedures in social service organisations are usually closely linked to issues of efficiency and effectiveness. However, there are often doubts as to whether such procedures can also be used profitably for the development of educational practice. In particular, tensions arise between the need for standardisation and comparability of output data on the one hand, and the often low-threshold and individualised support of young people on the other. Drawing on an empirical study in the field of youth work, the article addresses this problem of conflicting quality expectations in state-funded social and educational institutions. Based on expert interviews with youth work practitioners and drawing on neo-institutionalist theoretical concepts, it analyses which strategies and practices are used in open youth work to deal effectively with such contradictory quality expectations. Using a typology of different processing methods, the results show that an important aspect of professional quality action can be seen in the empowering behaviour of professionals and their context-specific interpretation and transformation of external requirements.

Youth Work, Youth Studies, and Co-design: Sustaining a Dynamic Nexus to Progress Youth Participation

Youth work practitioners and youth researchers both share a keen interest in the lives, experiences, and well-being of young people; however, the skills and expertise held by practitioners and researchers have not always been mutually valued leading to tensions and a research-practice gap. The rise of co-design methods that prioritise relational skills and ethics appears to mark a moment for closing or reducing this gap. Rather than accepting this convergence at face value, in this paper, we examine some of the key tensions around (1) relational ethics and decision-making, (2) holding multiple roles and expertise, and (3) structures that constrain or sustain participation to argue for sustaining a dynamic research-practice nexus. Drawing on our experience and practitioner-researchers, we argue that rather than simply overlooking the practical and ethical tensions between practice and research, sustaining a dynamic nexus comprising of continuing dialogue and collaboration can foster and progress co-design methods in pursuit of the aims of youth participation.

Clarifying and Enhancing the Role of Equality in Youth Work Ethics: The Case for an Equality Studies Approach

ABSTRACT Implicitly or explicitly, youth work practitioners, scholars and advocates typically invoke a set of egalitarian values to explain, justify and promote the ethical basis of their work. Despite such commitments, there exists conceptual ambiguity surrounding equality across much of the youth work literature which has significant consequences for how youth work is framed and defended. This article introduces the interdisciplinary field of Equality Studies and argues that an Equality Studies approach provides a means to (i) clarify equality-related normative goals within the youth work field and (ii) enhance radically orientated youth work by strengthening the conception of equality at its core. It analyses three areas of conceptual ambiguity within the youth work literature with respect to the value of equality, in each case demonstrating how an Equality Studies approach can help remedy the problem. These areas are: (i) the assumption that equality means ‘sameness’; (ii) the limits of equality of opportunity and anti-discrimination; and (iii) the relationship between equality and other values. It then evaluates the concept of ‘equity’, arguing that it is a vague, inadequate and unnecessary vehicle for capturing egalitarian concerns. The article concludes with some comments on the feasibility of radically egalitarian youth work.

Inter-Professional Education and Collaborative Practice in Social Work: Associations between Youth Work Practitioners’ Experience in Inter-Professional Learning, Creative Self-Efficacy and Innovative Behaviour

Abstract A rising trend is being observed in enhancing Inter-Professional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) in health care settings. Empirical evidence on its effects, particularly in youth settings, remains limited. This study examined the moderating role of inter-professional learning in the relation between youth work practitioners’ self-efficacy in social work and their creative self-efficacy and innovative behaviour. A total of 227 youth work practitioners from sixteen district-based youth services in Hong Kong were invited to participate in a survey. The results of regression analyses indicate a positive association between practitioners’ sense of self-efficacy in social work and their creative self-efficacy and innovative behaviour. They also show a positive association between practitioners’ inter-professional learning experience and their creative self-efficacy and innovative behaviour. However, concerning the interaction effect between self-efficacy in social work and inter-professional learning, the results indicate that the positive relationship between self-efficacy in social work and creative self-efficacy and innovative behaviour was weaker for practitioners who had a higher level of inter-professional learning. The promotion of IPECP and the preparation of social workers to be collaboration-ready were deemed essential in fostering an effective multi-agency and multi-profession partnership, especially for seasoned practitioners who were more likely to possess a silo mentality.

Harmonising or politicising: Youth sector peacebuilding in contested societies

Peacebuilding in contested societies is a cross-sectoral enterprise in which young people are primary stakeholders. Multilateral state-sponsored programmes and philanthropic agencies have resourced a vibrant youth sector delivering peacebuilding initiatives in Northern Ireland and the border counties. Despite billions in investment and a rich tapestry of transformative practice, a visionary peacebuilding strategy co-created with young people has remained elusive. As a result, youth sector peacebuilding in Northern Ireland is inhibited by an obstacle facing civil society peacebuilding across the globe – an ill-articulated vision resulting in pockets of disparate practice. Based on empirical research involving 43 youth work practitioners, this article offers a novel and rigorous methodological framework and sociological analysis to support researchers, policymakers and practitioners in contested societies to advance conceptualisations of peacebuilding. Freeden's framework of morphological analysis is operationalised through Q methodology leading to the identification of four distinctive orientations to peacebuilding. Bourdieu's concepts of capital and field are drawn upon to analyse the four perspectives, framed within a new sociopolitical model of youth sector peacebuilding. Tensions between harmonising versus politicising propensities are discussed as a substantial divergence variously incentivised or neglected by powerful actors within the field with significant implications for the trajectory of practice.

Competencies for Professional Child and Youth Work Practitioners

Competencies for Professional Child and Youth Work Practitioners

Youth Practitioners’ Perspectives on Building Agency and Supporting Transitions with and for Young People Experiencing Disadvantage

Despite the policy and academic interest in helping disadvantaged young people into employment and education, and towards a more positive future, little is known about the process of supporting positive transitions for young people. In Australia and internationally, youth work is increasingly considering alternatives to the traditional deficit-oriented and risk-averse approach to supporting young people experiencing social or material disadvantage. With an outset in youth practitioners’ perspectives on their work and underpinned by key concepts drawn from the Positive Youth Development approach, this paper seeks to improve understandings of how best to support disadvantaged young people’s ability to thrive, facilitate practitioner dialogue and strengthen practice. Qualitative interviews were conducted with twelve youth practitioners and a focus group run with an additional eight. The paper explores three concepts emerging from the analysis that were identified as key to understanding the unique potential youth work practitioners have to support positive transitions with and for disadvantaged young people: having an ecological focus, encouraging personal agency and fostering alternative possibilities. The findings propose new possibilities for working with young people with whom mainstream services struggle to engage. The paper concludes by discussing the practical implications and limitations of this approach.

Promoting civic and political engagement among marginalized urban youth in three cities: Strategies and challenges

Over the past decade and more, there has been a significant emphasis in western societies on policy processes to engage youth in civic and political life. Concerns about the extent to which marginalized urban young people in particular have become disengaged from civic and political life has been a common, and contested, theme in youth policy. Currently, there is a dearth of literature exploring how policy provisions have been translated into practice on the ground. In this paper, we draw on semi-structured interviews with 66 policymakers, public officials, and youth work practitioners in London, Belfast, and Dublin to explore the strategies used to engage urban youth and to identify the key challenges associated with these efforts. The strategies used in youth engagement efforts include youth work, deliberative forums, volunteerism, arts, sports and media, non-formal education and technology and social media. Challenges associated with youth civic and political engagement include youth alienation from their communities and institutions, capacity and resource limitations, ritual rather than real engagement and challenges of inclusion.

Lifelong learning for youth work practitioners in South Africa : trends, implications and policy issues

Lifelong learning for youth work practitioners in South Africa : trends, implications and policy issues

Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of a Core Competencies Measure for Malaysian Youth Workers

Core competencies in youth work refer to demonstrated capacities of quality performance that allow youth development workers to be resources for the young people, organizations and communities with whom they work. While a number of practice frameworks based on core competencies have been developed, few validated assessment measures exist to help identify professional development needs for youth workers. This article describes the adaptation and psychometric validation of a core competency assessment tool for youth work practitioners in Malaysia. A quantitative study was undertaken to validate an adapted core competency measure with a sample of 300 Malaysian youth workers. Psychometric validation included both internal consistency and construct, convergent and discriminant validity tests. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded 12 core competency sub-scales. Adequate internal consistency was achieved for each subscale along with the full measure. The findings support the validity and reliability of the core competency measure. Recommendations for application and further research are discussed.

The rise of a neo-communitarian project: A critical youth work study into the pedagogy of the National Citizen Service in England

This article draws upon recent empirical data from a series of in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with professional youth work practitioners. It is focused upon contemporary practice experiences of social action and youth citizenship projects across North East England. The research provides a more nuanced understanding of the National Citizen Service programmes to make sense of the meaning of citizenship in the twenty-first century. The findings contribute towards a critical appraisal of the National Citizen Service as a vehicle for youth social action in the changing social, economic and political landscapes in a post-Brexit society. It offers some useful insights into approaches to practice interventions, the impact on young people and contests the type of citizen envisaged within the NCS curricula and pedagogy. It adopts a critical perspective to explore recent government rhetoric and seeks to identify the salient assumptions and ways of seeing youth citizenship today. It suggests that we are witnessing the emergence of a form of neo-communitarian citizenship, which can be characterised as a distinct form of ‘active citizenship’ premised on neoliberal economic imperatives, resulting in a reconfiguration of youth work practice and accelerating the demise of young people’s entitlement to universal service provision.

Collecting and using youth development outcomes data to improve youth work practice

There is increasing scrutiny on the factors necessary to ensure that youth development programs consistently enhance the learning and development of young people. One of these key factors is the involvement of high-quality youth work practitioners who can facilitate an individual or group process to the benefit of all participants. While the practice of reflective learning is a core best-practice principle of youth workers, there is little emphasis on their own structured learning and development beyond their initial qualification. Based on findings from a pilot project testing the first practitioner-led outcomes framework in New South Wales, Australia, this article examines the role of outcomes data in contributing to the ongoing development of youth workers and youth development organisations. It argues that external performance data is both critical to individual and organisational development, and can enhance existing reflective practices such as workplace supervision.

Practitioner Inquiry Matters: Questions by and for Youth Workers

The Journal of Youth Development’s subtitle is “Bridging Research and Practice,” yet too often our publications reflect a one-way bridge— studies that, at best, have implications for practice. Less represented are practitioner inquiries that rely on practitioner experience and expertise. This special issue aims to bridge the research-practice divide with scholarship produced by youth work practitioners. This article provides a rationale for practitioner inquiry, describes a fellowship effort to support it, and then offers an overview of the ten practitioner inquiries featured in this special issue.

Rethinking youth violence and healing

In a world where violence and healing are posited as oppositional, critical youth studies, youth work practitioners, and human rights and social justice activists often locate themselves on the healing side of the divide, shedding light on the suffering and alleviating the pain of the violence. However, current theoretical developments prompt us to critically engage this oppositional binary constructed between violence and healing. We have come to a crossroads where we can no longer innocently position ourselves on the side of healing because we are deeply implicated in the violence as well. In this paper, we draw on our research on the healing practices of racialized minority youth in Canada to think through the prevailing dichotomy of violence and healing. We use a poignant case scenario of an ordinary encounter in an ordinary place to explore the complexities of the space between youth violence and healing and make visible their inseparably relational and interactional nature. We draw on both foundational and emergent conceptualizations of encounters, emotions, spaces and places, as well as subjects and subjectivities to rethink and theorize youth violence and healing.

Finding Nexus: connecting youth work and research practices

Participation in educational and social research helps to develop understanding of how young people learn and to consider wider aspects of their lives to enable their voices to be heard and acted upon. Research also facilitates the articulation and sharing of methodologies across a range of professional practices. We assert that theory and practice in educational youth work offers a position of strength from which to undertake research. In making this assertion, we suggest cross‐disciplinarity between youth work and research practices in order to build research mindedness among youth workers who, through this nexus, are well‐placed to engage in practice based research. Drawing on discourses about young people, youth work and youth participation, we identify five elements of youth work practice that can be aligned with research processes: reflexivity; positionality and bias; insider cultural competence; rapport and trust; power relationships. The article examines how these elements are present in youth work and a range of research settings. We identify youth work methods and dispositions as enhancing research capacity which could also be useful in building participatory research methods in disciplinary areas beyond education. Yet, in making these connections, we also identify a range of factors that show this nexus as complex and contestable. Reflecting on the lessons learned from our experiences as youth work practitioners and academic researchers, we propose that finding nexus, which in this instance is between youth work and research paradigms, could inform educational research practices and contributes to developing a meaningful praxis.

Toward a Youth Work Profession

There is growing interest in the professionalization of the youth work field in Australia and the United States. In this article I draw on relevant literature from the sociology of professions to explore the appeal of professionalization for youth work. The interest in professionalism is examined along with the strategies youth work practitioners could build on and use to progress professionalization. The tactics proposed are for proponents to concurrently use lessons from other professionalization projects, garner support in the youth sector, lead a project that has broad appeal, utilize existing institutional arrangements, and establish an international movement.

Exploring Professionalism among Youth Work Practitioners in Malaysia: A Measurement Development Study

Despite the concerns about professionalism among youth work practitioners in Malaysia, valid and reliable instruments to measure the construct are lacking. This article reviews the psychometric development and initial exploration of a professionalism measure applicable for use with direct-service youth work practitioners. Results were based on a sampling of 813 government and non-government youth work practitioners throughout Malaysia. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 6-factor solution that was used as the basis for the subscales of the instrument. Comparison of means tests indicated higher mean scores according to academic qualification, age, income, gender, marital status and certification and years of involvement in youth work. Limitations and recommendations for further development of the professionalism scale are discussed.

The Importance and Benefits of Supervision in Youth Work Practice

SUMMARY This article explores the concept of supervision and its implementation within a youth work context. The article describes and explores a process of staff development facilitated by the author which involved providing supervision training to a group of youth work practitioners at Cork YMCA in Ireland and continuing to meet them on a monthly basis over a period of a year in a mentoring capacity. These sessions provided a supportive space for supervisors and aimed to facilitate a reflective process in relation to their own supervisory practice. This article explores the opportunities and challenges of the supervision process, advocates the importance of supervision in ensuring effective youth work practice, and identifies the beneficial impact of this at a number of levels.

Researching reflective practice: a case study of youth work education

This paper aims to help fill the gap in the literature on how to educate reflective youth work practitioners. The author reflects on his teaching practice. This includes in class, online and field‐based critical reflection work that cuts across a number of courses over three years. Students engage in a range of teaching and learning activities that promote the exercise of human agency and responsible action, alerting them to their own capacity for transformative action and professional youth work practice. The lessons can be adapted for use in other discipline areas where staff appreciate the pedagogical value of reflective practice.

Understanding Risky Sexual Behavior of Female Youth-at-risk in Hong Kong

The risky sexual behavior (RSB) of youth-at-risk (YAR) has been of much concern to frontline youth work practitioners and the government. There are huge social and actual costs involved. This paper presents a study that used a qualitative method of in-depth individual interviews with eight female YAR who had engaged in RSB. Their sexual experiences, reasons for having sex, perceptions of RSB, contraceptive practices, and the consequences of RSB were explored. An understanding of the different aspects of the RSB of female YAR is enhanced through the study. Based on the findings, recommendations on sex education for YAR and possible future studies are made.