scholarly journals Give Us More Credit! Recommendations for Young and Adult Researchers on Conducting Adolescent-Led Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 227-238
Author(s):  
Georgiana Vasiloiu ◽  
Julia Smith-Brake ◽  
Simona Eugenia Mihai
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Young People ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Youth Participatory Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

Youth participatory action research, child-led research, and child-led activism are being increasingly employed to counter adultism in social work and development contexts, in a way to break down barriers for young people to have their voices heard on issues and decisions about their lives. This commentary comprises 2 open letters from a young researcher and advocate for children’s well-being and rights in Romania. The first letter is addressed to fellow young people and shares the journey of learning about and subsequently researching the issue of sexual violence, as well as a call to young people to stand up and use their voice to bring attention to issues important to them. The fear and anxiety of doing something new, that is usually in an adult space, cedes to empowerment and confidence found through the process. The second letter is addressed to adult researchers and practitioners and shares the methodology and findings of the child-led research project, lessons learned, and recommendations for adults engaging in child-led research. A key recommendation is for adults to support child researchers without manipulating the process, and to give young people more credit in commonly adult-held spaces.

scholarly journals Using Youth Participatory Action Research as a Health Intervention in Community Settings

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Lindquist-Grantz ◽  
Michelle Abraczinskas
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Youth Participatory Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Community Based

Youth participatory action research (YPAR) emphasizes positive youth development by engaging young people as co-researchers and change agents on complex issues to produce solutions that are relevant to youth. YPAR has primarily been used in classroom and youth organization settings, which means there are very few examples of its usage in other community-based settings or as a health intervention approach. Additionally, there is a need for further study of YPAR implementation processes and the effect on youth development and well-being outcomes. In this article, we highlight the innovative use of YPAR as a community-based health intervention through two case studies in which the adolescent health issues of physical activity and suicide were addressed. We describe the design of each YPAR health intervention and the studies that were conducted to link participatory research processes to youth development and health outcomes. Using the lessons learned from these YPAR interventions, we propose best practices for the design, implementation, and evaluation of YPAR as a health intervention strategy in a community setting.

scholarly journals Creating a Relational Participatory Space: Insights from a Youth Participatory Action Research Project

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Davis-Rae
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Young People ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Youth Participation ◽  
Youth Participatory Action Research ◽  
Youth Voice ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
Participatory Processes

<p><b>Since the ratification of Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, there has been a heightened focus on youth participation as a way of upholding young people’s right to have their say on decisions that affect them. However, programmes that attempt to engage young people in decision-making processes have often been poorly enacted and have failed to adequately address the barriers that limit young people’s ability to participate meaningfully and therefore rarely result in sustained change. This study examined processes with a youth participatory action research [YPAR] project in order to identify and explore processes and practices that might serve to sustain young people’s involvement and support authentic and meaningful participation. The research used an instrumental case study approach to examine an 18-month-long YPAR project operated through an existing youthwork programme. Data were collected through autoethnography, artefact analysis and participant interviews and reflections with youth participants. </b></p> <p>The study found that peer-to-peer and peer-to-leader relationships were foundational to youth participants’ ongoing involvement over the 18-month period. Such relationships appeared to drive much of the momentum of the action research and enable at times dynamic flows of power between youth participants and adults that encouraged an inter-generational space within the YPAR project. Young people stepped into leadership roles at different phases of the project while adult leaders managed the pace and progress of the project. The study identified five factors that helped to create this relational participatory space: reduced leader direction; valuing youth voice; openness of other participants, reworking adult-centric processes and the implementation of a variety of sharing activities. A number of factors that constrained youth voice were also identified. The study highlights how strong relationships were an integral part of the processes and practices of YPAR, rather than merely a positive outcome of participatory processes. These findings challenge traditional individualistic models of youth participation that frequently fail to acknowledge the importance of intergenerational and collective relationships within youth participatory action research projects. The study therefore calls for a heightened focus on relationship building within participatory processes both at a policy and practical level.</p>

scholarly journals Creating a Relational Participatory Space: Insights from a Youth Participatory Action Research Project

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Davis-Rae
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Young People ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Youth Participation ◽  
Youth Participatory Action Research ◽  
Youth Voice ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
Participatory Processes

<p><b>Since the ratification of Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, there has been a heightened focus on youth participation as a way of upholding young people’s right to have their say on decisions that affect them. However, programmes that attempt to engage young people in decision-making processes have often been poorly enacted and have failed to adequately address the barriers that limit young people’s ability to participate meaningfully and therefore rarely result in sustained change. This study examined processes with a youth participatory action research [YPAR] project in order to identify and explore processes and practices that might serve to sustain young people’s involvement and support authentic and meaningful participation. The research used an instrumental case study approach to examine an 18-month-long YPAR project operated through an existing youthwork programme. Data were collected through autoethnography, artefact analysis and participant interviews and reflections with youth participants. </b></p> <p>The study found that peer-to-peer and peer-to-leader relationships were foundational to youth participants’ ongoing involvement over the 18-month period. Such relationships appeared to drive much of the momentum of the action research and enable at times dynamic flows of power between youth participants and adults that encouraged an inter-generational space within the YPAR project. Young people stepped into leadership roles at different phases of the project while adult leaders managed the pace and progress of the project. The study identified five factors that helped to create this relational participatory space: reduced leader direction; valuing youth voice; openness of other participants, reworking adult-centric processes and the implementation of a variety of sharing activities. A number of factors that constrained youth voice were also identified. The study highlights how strong relationships were an integral part of the processes and practices of YPAR, rather than merely a positive outcome of participatory processes. These findings challenge traditional individualistic models of youth participation that frequently fail to acknowledge the importance of intergenerational and collective relationships within youth participatory action research projects. The study therefore calls for a heightened focus on relationship building within participatory processes both at a policy and practical level.</p>

Lessons Learned in Implementing Youth and Parent Participatory Action Research in a School-Based Intervention

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-36
Author(s):  
April K. Wilhelm ◽  
Shannon Pergament ◽  
Alainna Cavin ◽  
Nicole Bates ◽  
Mikow Hang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
School Based Intervention ◽  
School Based
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