Different World
Posted December 2006
Young people are bothered, says new report
Contrary to the general view, events in their local communities and internationally are of concern to young people, according to a new City Parochial Foundation report from Lemos&CraneDifferent World also reveals that while national politics do not interest them as much, young people are prepared to do something about their concerns
Far from the tabloid stereotype of young people as leading selfish and disengaged lives - typified by Lauren the teenager in The Catherine Tate Show and her catch-phrase 'Am I bothered?' - they are seriously concerned about what is going on around them.
"Too much negativity has been directed towards young people; and not enough imagination, trust and courage," says Gerard Lemos, partner at Lemos&Crane and author of Different World.. " 'Optimism is a moral duty', and one that needs to be at the heart of work with young people to improve lives and communities across the country.
'We believe that what is needed is a new consensus on the content and purpose of youth work to be based on citizenship, social change and the creation of a better world. But young people need more structured help and support to take action than is currently provided by mainstream youth work."
Different World calls for youth work practitioners to be more creative in working with young people, making more use of positive peer-influence, the arts and sport, commercial marketing methods, and new media communications such as texting and blogging.
The research identified innovative youth work projects that exemplify these objectives and skills. These include:
•Big Fish, which uses theatre and role-play to examine situations of potential unwanted sexual contact or street violence, where participants take turn acting out contentious scenarios and commenting on possible responses;
•Photovoice which trains young people in photography and filmmaking to examine attitudes to immigrants;
•Youth Act, Your Turn and Envision which ask young people to make decisions on community projects tackling gun crime, mobile phone theft, bullying or improving the local environment;
•4Front run by the Camelot Foundation goes further and asks young people to examine and judge the work of other young people.
More than 40 projects were studied during the research through interviews and focus groups.
Bharat Mehta, Chief Executive of City Parochial Foundation, commented: "This is timely and insightful work which suggests that much more can be done than is currently happening to further the Government's policy objectives of youth volunteering and citizenship.
"What is clear is that young people are actively engaged in issues such as human rights and social justice - for example, getting involved in campaigns for peace, for ending poverty and resolving conflicts in their communities. They do want to be listened to and to shape the world, and are not just interested in consumerism and anti-social behaviour.
"Unfortunately, too many negative attributes have been attached to young people and we are delighted that this report challenges some of society's stereotypes and preconceptions about this group."
NOTES
•Copies of the full report and a summary of Different World are available from City Parochial Foundation, 6 Middle Street, London EC1A 7PH. Telephone 020 7606 6145. PDF copies are available to download - please click on the links below.
•The report was launched at an event on 2 November 2006
•Lemos&Crane is a social research organisation that develops and disseminates knowledge and innovation on social policy, helping professionals to take informed action to improve lives and communities - visit www.lemosandcrane.co.uk for more information.
•Projects involved in the research for Different World included Aik Saath, Amnesty International UK, Bang Edutainment, Barnardo's, Big Fish Theatre Company, British Youth Council, Charlton Athletic Football Club, Children for Peace, Citizenship Foundation, Common Purpose, Conflict & Change, ContinYou, Envision, Exposure, Forward Thinking, Hanover Foundation, Haringey Warriors Youth Organisation, Heartstone, ICAR, Industrial Dwellings Society, Institute for Global Ethics, Kikass, Leap Confronting Conflict, Leaps and Bounds, National Children's Bureau, New Horizon Youth Centre, Notting Hill Housing Trust, Outside Chance, People & Planet, Photovoice, Rank Foundation, Salmon Youth Centre, Schools Councils UK, Second Wave, the Barbara Melunsky Refugee Youth Agency, the Be Safe Project, Youth Timebank, Tower Hamlets Summer University, Tricycle Theatre, WorldWrite, Youth Culture Television (YCTV), Young Voice, Youth at Risk, and Youthnet.
You may well be interested in a new website developed by Lemos and Crane for practitioners working with young people on building a better world. Please click link below for more information:
Website: Unboxed Suporting young people working together for a better world