Participation and Activism: Young People Shaping Their Worlds

This paper explores contemporary youth activism and youth participation to identify the framework of change that characterises the formal and informal democratic political participation of young people. Spontaneous political activity of young people that challenges the state sits side by side with state facilitated youth participation projects. The similarities and differences between official projects and independent political activism are highlighted and analysed in the context of changing social policy, the marketisation of youth work, the history of youth participation and social movements and debates in youth and community work. A distinction is made between approaches to youth participation that see young people as consumers, as creators or simply as problematic. Attention is also drawn to the innovation of Young Mayor and Young Advisor Projects in town halls, current campaigns and alliances in the defence of a public sector that includes youth work based on a critical dialogue for transformative social change.