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Rethinking Youth Participation For Social Development and Community Strengthening
JOURNAL OF YOUTH RESEARCHES
the participation of youth in the process of decision making, there would be a lack of un-
derstanding towards young people’s inner world and their experiences or subjectivities.
There are a variety of ways how youth can participate in the community and contribute to
its development. One example would be to use the “Photovoice” strategy through which
young people take photographs and engage in community issues through critical dia-
logue and discussions through photographs (Wang, 2006:147). This method is particular-
ly beneficial in terms of promoting community well-being as well as youth participation.
In addition, young people can learn to identify new issues which are often not visible and
help find solutions in collaboration with adults of the community or stakeholders in order
to make a difference in their environment. Involving young people by including them in
local and community initiatives contributes to their empowerment and in addition it “can
create feelings of solidarity and respect for the environment, for public institutions, and
for the public authorities that run and serve them” (Driskell, 2002:14). “Creating Better
Cities with Children and Youth” from David Driskell (2002) provides substantial research
on the importance of involving young people in decision making and it can be used as
a tool for participatory projects through the help of children and youth for community
development.
There are also other forms of youth organisations which serve different scopes, such
as involving youth in environmental projects for example, that promote awareness and
allow young people to discuss and find solutions with stakeholders and execute real life
projects. Other initiatives could help young people of disadvantaged neighborhoods or
communities to build sustainable solutions in terms of infrastructure, helping people in
need or other forms of community services which face problems. Participating and hav-
ing goals for a common cause has a positive affect and might also bring life satisfaction
for young people and as shown by research this could “mitigate the negative effects of
stressful life events and work against the development of psychological and behavioral
problems among youth. Supportive parenting, engagement in challenging activities, pos-
itive life events, and high-quality interactions with significant others contribute to the de-
velopment of life satisfaction”. (Park, 2004:25). Moreover, getting involved in community
issues not only boost self-esteem or satisfaction but also contributes to empowerment.
Following Paulo Freire’s philosophy, education and “the participation of people in group
actions and dialogue efforts directed at community targets enhances control and beliefs
in ability to change people’s own lives” (Wallerstein & Bernstein, 1988: 379).
It could be concluded that there is a need for a better understanding of the practices
in schools regarding youth rights and what happens regarding participation in general.
Of particular interest would be also interviewing in the future teachers or parents views
regarding their thinking towards youth’s ability to participate or contribute meaningfully in
