The Impact of Intergenerational Conflict on the Civic Action and Volunteering of Disadvantaged Youth in the United Kingdom

• In Event: Negotiating Conflict and Belonging: Ethnographic Perspectives on Citizenship Education From the United States and Europe

Abstract

Background: According to notions of civic deficit, young people are disengaged socially and politically: They have little concern about what happens in their local or global communities, preferring instead to engage with electronic games and the Internet. Empirical studies, however, indicate that whilst young people have relatively low or moderate levels of political engagement (Benton et al., 2008, Youth Citizenship Commission, 2009, Kerr et al., 2002) and whilst youth living in disadvantaged communities are even less likely to be engaged in mainstream politics (Young People’s Social Attitudes Survey, 2003, Lopes et al., 2009) youth’s formal and informal civic participation is relatively buoyant. This is despite challenges created by lack of time and money, and by lack of confidence and awareness of available opportunities. Further challenges are created when adults living in disadvantaged communities regard youth as ‘failed citizens’ (Cremin et al., 2011) in need of surveillance and control, rather than as ‘citizens in the making’.

Purpose: This paper presents findings from focus groups with disadvantaged youth, which show how adult mistrust leads to feelings of alienation and marginalised civic identities. It draws on the work of Lave and Wenger (1991) to suggest that civic spaces in local communities are places where legitimate peripheral learning for civic action and participation can take place.

Study Design, Methods, Data Sources: The paper presents focus group findings from a wider two-year research project. Twenty-four focus groups were carried out with 163 disadvantaged youth (105 female, 58 male, between the ages of 11 and 21, average age 15). Thematic analysis was used to explore variations in young people’s civic engagement, and to identify patterns and contextual factors that might be of influence, such as peers, family, community, school life and employment opportunities.

Results: Findings show that some disadvantaged youth were civically engaged and socially aspirant (either maximally or functionally engaged) and some were minimally engaged, or not engaged at all. This latter group were marginalised and had a variety of social problems. Of key concern here were findings that suggest that attitudes from the police (issuing anti-social behaviour reports, showing suspicion if a youth is carrying money to buy family provisions) a minority of teachers (provoking conflict, showing a lack of cultural awareness) and adults in the local community (phoning the police unnecessarily, not letting adolescents into the local store more than one at a time, not giving jobs to young people because of the way that they talk or the way that they dress) all lead to feelings of alienation and a lack of civic identity. For these young people, coping with perceived injustice is enough of a challenge.

Significance: This work holds significance for researchers and educators (both school and community-based) who wish to consider community and contextual factors that impact on the civic engagement of youth. It challenges the notion that civic education projects and interventions are sufficient to bring about change - more may be gained by considering the community contexts in which youth are learning how to be citizens.

Author

• Hilary Cremin, University of Cambridge