Youth Voice and Civic Engagement in an Age of Neoliberal Economic Policies

• In Event: Roundtable Session 39
  In Roundtable Session: Voice, Dissent, and Language Ideology

Abstract

For this presentation, we provide examples of youth’s photographs and writing to illustrate what youth can teach us about what a flourishing neighborhood looks and feels like, and support their efforts to create positive changes in their day-to-day lives. Prompted by neo-liberal conceptions of wealth accumulation and the erosion of public spaces, children can also help educators and policymakers to re-orient their understanding of place: what it means to have a sense of belonging, the effects of displacing children and their families, and children’s need for safe spaces. In the end, we argue that adults collaborating with youth need to take responsibility for helping kids navigate the economic and institutional barriers that they confront each and every day.

Authors

• Stuart Greene, University of Notre Dame

• Kevin Burke, University of Georgia - Athens

• Maria K. McKenna, University of Notre Dame