scholarly journals ‘No One Learned’: Interpreting a Drugs Crackdown Operation and its Consequences Through The ‘Lens’ of Social Harm

Author(s):  
Will Mason

AbstractThis article seeks to extend studies of social harm by detailing the ways that harm is interpreted, identified and reflected upon by social actors in a specific empirical context: a drugs crackdown operation in a northern English city. Using a longitudinal ethnographic approach, unique insights are reported both from the time that the operation took place and a point in time five years afterwards. The data offer rich accounts of the immediate, short- and longer-term impacts as interpreted by youth workers and a group of mostly Somali young people (aged 13–19). Social harm, it is argued, offers a useful ‘lens’ through which to critically explore the culpability of well-meaning state interventions in the (re)production of structural inequalities.

1970 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saffron Burley

There is a growing phenomenon of young people in urban areas owning fighting dog breeds, such as Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and English Bull Terriers. Many people find these youths and their dogs threatening, and many more are concerned that the dogs are being trained to fight, and to deliberately intimidate. As well as the perception of these young people as a threat, there is also a host of anti-cruelty sentiments directed at them. The purpose of this exploration is to examine the origins and characteristics of this phenomenon and the societal responses in regards to it, especially in the context of wider society's historical tendency to assume the worst of this particular group, and the way that many dominant views on this issue echo typical "moral panic" anxieties. I hope to also reveal the extent of more subtle needs and nuances in the behaviour of these young people and the deeper motivations behind their choice to own and train fighting dog breeds, by using a more sensitive, ethnographic approach to flesh out the picture. I will then apply the understanding gained from this exploration to inform my understanding of the challenges and considerations facing youth and community work in regards to young people, highlighting our aim as youth workers to link our work to broader issues of inequality in society.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 94-108
Author(s):  
Martin Brestovanský ◽  
Janette Gubricová ◽  
Kristína Liberčanová ◽  
Naďa Bizová ◽  
Zuzana Geršicová

AbstractIntroduction: The aim of the study was to find out what is the understanding of relatively new terms coming into the cultures of Middle-European countries – inclusion, diversity, and equality (hereinafter referred to as IDE) – from the point of view of young people (n=30) and youth workers (n=16) in Slovakia.Methods: For data gathering, we used a method of focus groups (4 meetings). Data analysis was based on three criteria: consistency in understanding the terms, an overview of types of obstacles that keep young people from self-realisation and an explicit or implicit expression of understanding the basic principles of inclusion in education. The content of IDE terms was mostly from the area of the social field. The term diversity was closely explained in the psychological-personal fields.Results: The most frequent obstacles for applying IDE approaches were seen in the social, health and religious spheres. From the pedagogical and methodological point of view, the problem is also in the difficulty of preparing the projects based on the principles of IDE while the youth workers proclaim autonomy in solutions and do not trust the possibilities of using general methods because of specific need resulting from the specific context of their work. Also, they proclaim natural applying of the IDE principles and the existence of specific needs in the informal education does not represent any problem for the inclusion of the group members in the activities of the organisation.Limitations: Work with youth is very varied. Performs in different areas of life and also involves working with different groups of young people. The selected research sample consists of youth and youth workers who are only a partial sample of the sample. It is assumed that in a larger group of respondents (both youth workers and youths themselves), respondents' views may differ somewhat in some of the areas studied.Conclusions: This research provides information on understanding, implementation and obstacles to applying the principles of inclusion, equality and diversity in practice. We believe that the information we receive is very valuable as it opens the imaginative door to the specific kitchens of individual youth organizations where these principles are directly implemented. They show their nature of application in practice, they suggest some risks, as well as a certain bias towards the application of the terms emerging (probably?) from theory. As can be seen from the results of our research, the emergence of specific needs in non-formal education in practice does not pose a problem in the inclusion of group members in leisure activities.


10.2196/19749 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e19749
Author(s):  
Laura Elizabeth Tinner ◽  
Eileen Kaner ◽  
Claire Garnett ◽  
Siobhan Mitchell ◽  
Matthew Hickman ◽  
...  

Background In the United Kingdom, despite some downward trends in alcohol use among young people, over one-fifth of young people reported excessive alcohol use in the past month, which is associated with short- and long-term harm to health. Digital interventions to reduce alcohol use, such as websites, among young people present an appealing and cost-effective mode of intervention that can be integrated into the education system. However, relatively few school-based digital alcohol-focused interventions have been developed and evaluated for young people in the United Kingdom. Objective This study aims to develop a novel web-based intervention, Rethink Alcohol, to prevent and reduce excessive alcohol use and related harm among young people aged between 14 and 15 years, and explore the views of young people, teachers, and youth workers in relation to the content, design, and usability of the intervention. Methods Intervention development followed the person-based approach, using theories of social norms and social influence. Qualitative “Think-Aloud” interviews, either one-to-one or paired, were conducted while participants perused and worked through the web-based intervention, talking aloud. Participants included 20 young people (12 female, 8 male), 5 youth workers (4 female, 1 male), 3 teachers (2 male, 1 female), and 1 (male) clinical professional, recruited via youth groups and professional networks. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Results The prototype web-based intervention included normative feedback, information, a quiz, interactive activities, and scenarios. On a rating scale of impressions from poor (1) to excellent (5), participants gave an average score of 3.6/5. A total of 5 themes were identified: content, credibility of the website, making the website easy to understand, design and navigation, and suitability for the audience. These themes reflected views that the content was interesting, credible, informative, and embodied a neutral and nonjudgmental tone, but stronger messaging was needed regarding social pressures and short-term risks regarding safety and risk behavior alongside clarity around pathways of risk; credibility and trustworthiness of information were critical features, determined in part, by the professionalism of design and referencing of sources of information provided; and messages should be succinct and come to life through design and interactive features. Conclusions Together, the data illustrated the importance and challenge of communicating nuanced alcohol-focused public health messages to young people in concise, clear, nonjudgmental, and appealing ways. Young people report interest in clear, credible, neutral, and interactive messages regarding social pressures and short-term risks of alcohol use via a web-based intervention. There is scope for optimization and feasibility testing of the Rethink Alcohol intervention.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-102
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mona Adha ◽  
Eska Prawisudawati Ulpa

Abstract: Young people participation would be runs to the maximum by being given the opportunity and place to be creative carried out as volunteers. The experience and learning process of working both online and offline voluntarily can increase the knowledge, practical skills, and experience of every volunteer. Qualitative research with an ethnographic approach is implemented to find the context and social interactions that occur between volunteers and the environment in which they are active. Opportunities for self-development through acts of sincere and noble service become significant to continue to be developed in the midst of society and become a habituation as a form of strengthening character and character so that character education can continue to be turned on and become a servant for themselves and for people around them. 


Author(s):  
Madeleine Leonard

This chapter presents an overview and reflection of the range of methods involved in researching teenagers’ spatial practices in a divided city. The research draws on the ‘new sociology of childhood’ as its theoretical framework. This involves seeing young people as competent social actors in their own right. It involves recognising that young people do not simply reflect adult assumptions about the everyday world but develop their own ways of seeing and knowing. It prioritises young people’s points of views and uses methodologies which encourage young people’s voices to be heard. The study utilised a range of methods including questionnaires, focus group discussions, essays and photo prompts and the chapter outlines how each method contributed to the aims and objectives of the research.


Author(s):  
Martha Sabelli ◽  
Jorge Rasner ◽  
María Cristina Pérez Giffoni ◽  
Eduardo Álvarez Pedrosian

Within the framework of the implementation of the Integrated National Healthcare System (SNIS) along with national policies of information and communication at the República Oriental del Uruguay, a research is being conducted, focusing on adolescents and young people in vulnerable contexts in the city of Montevideo, taking them as both real and potential users of healthcare information. It also centers in the mediators in the flow of communication and information, especially among healthcare staff. From a multi-interdisciplinary approach, this investigation aims at identifying the behaviors and needs of the target population in relation to the information and ICTs, the availability and access to personal technological resources, its context of use (the community, their everyday lives, the institutions), the process of interaction among the different social actors in the sector, as well as in the communication flow within the organizational culture of these services. On this basis, it will provide models to design electronic information resources according to the social needs, and which may contribute to the inclusion of all citizens in the so-called Information Society.


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