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The Participation of The Young People In Social, Cultural and Political Life: Malatya City Council Youth Assembly Sample
JOURNAL OF YOUTH RESEARCHES
the future of societies that the young should develop freely in areas where they want and
tend to be, take initiative in certain issue, gain a participatory identity, add value to their
political, cultural and social life, and find themselves valuable.
The concept of participation does not have a precise definition since it has been consid-
ered from different perspectives in accordance with its different components. What sets
the ground for this is that the concept of participation finds a different response at every
moment. For example, there are basic differences between the concept of participation
in the political sense and the concept of participation in the ideological sense. From this
point of view, Malatya Youth Assembly will be held with respect to participation of the
young in social, political and historical life. While doing this, some concrete samples of
participation at Malatya Youth Assembly will be submitted.
2. The Concept of Youth
When we look at youth and its definitions, we can state that these definitions are shaped
according to the lifestyles of the societies, the geographical structure they live in, and
the social, political and cultural understanding of these societies. However, this definition
cannot be considered within a generic definition category in the sense that it ignores the
meaning of the youth period that is affected and changed by historical and social events.
On the other hand, in some definitions youth can also be seen as an object of investment
for social assurance and economic growth.
3. Youth and Participation
The concept of participation is used in political sphere to express all kinds of behaviors
and actions that individuals show at local and national levels to elect political executives
and to make decisions of administrators in the direction of their will and interest (Dursun,
2006: 230). The term also refers to a dynamic interaction in which individuals are involved
in the identification, supervision and enforcement of public policies, and the mechanisms
under which they are to be enforced under statutory safeguards (Alkan, 200: 58).
In modern democracies, voting should not be perceived as the only way of participation.
In addition to voting, indicators such as having knowledge about political process and
understanding this process, thinking techniques, using information technology skills, par-
ticipation in the media, interaction and discussion skills are the examples of the extension
of the accession process out of the political participation in modern democracies (Schu-
sler and Krasny, 2008: 270).
After the effects of globalization began to be intensified, especially in the social and po-
litical arena, there have been many changes on the international level both in terms of
the implementation and the area of thought. One of these is the governance-oriented
rhetoric of local government and the approaches and practices that young people should
have at the center of this discourse (Tekeli, 2003: 226-227).
UN (United Nations) proclaimed the year 1985 as “International Year of Youth” and there
have been three main themes for this year: participation, development and peace (Tez-
can, 2003: 121; Aksu and Paykoç, 1986: 11). Indeed, we can state that the positive psy-
