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Youth’s Participation Patterns to The Society
JOURNAL OF YOUTH RESEARCHES
Participation can materialize in lots of levels from families to international organizations,
schools, workplaces, health servicess, local and national governments, clubs, unions
and parliaments. United Nations define the participation of the youth as follows: (UNDP,
2008:77).
• economic participation (work and development)
• political participation (resolution process)
• social participation (to take part in social and environmental issues )
• cultural participation (artistic activities, cultural norms and discourse)
Participation to the society by means of non governmental organizations is important
in terms of the development of democracy in society. Social responsibility, sharing and
active citizenship become more functional by means of participation to the non-govern-
mental organizations (Bayhan, 2014: 87).
As the active citizenship literature indicates, activities and voluntary works that are car-
ried out by the youth increases their self-confidence. The studies show that to include
youngs to the social activities creates positive effects on their self-improvement, sense
of citizenship, social responsibility, knowledge, academic skills and career expectations
(UNDP, 2008:80). The opportunity to participate to society should be given to all children,
adoescents and youngs in all of the socialization institutions begining from the families.
2. Youth’s Participation Patterns To The Society
2.1. Economic Participation:
What is most wanted by the youngs in Turkey is to find a good job. %49,1 of the youngs
who answered the Youth’s Status Research say that having a good job is what they
want most. %18,1 say “respectability” and %16,9 of them answered as “love” (UNDP,
2008:57). In Bayhan’s research, %51 of the youngs say the most important problem is
unemployement. %28 of the sample say psychological problems, %16 social pressure
and %4 sexual problems (Bayhan, 2013.146).
According to the findings of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), while the general un-
employement rate in Turkey in 2012 is %9.2, this rate is %20 among youngs.While the
unemployement rate among %16 young boys is %16, this rate is %20 for the young girls
(TUİK, 2013:33). In European Countries the unemployement rate in 2012 is %12 but in
Spain and Greece which are in economic crisis %60 of the youngs are unemployed (tr.
euronews.com, 2013).
One of the reasons why those aforesaid educated youngs are unemployed is that they
want to work in jobs from which they can get higher income and the other is that they
want jobs which offers social security (UNDP, 2008:66). Besides, in Bayhan’s research,
