border and rural regions; civic and political participation; young people; Education
Abstract :
[en] Highlights: − Young people are involved in diverse types of participation, being engaged, disengaged or unpolitical. −Young people perceive opportunities to organise initiatives but not to participate in local decisions. Constraints on participation and responses to promote it were identified. Context-specific barriers were mentioned by young people and policymakers. Municipalities and schools are priority contexts for fostering youth participation. Purpose: This article aims to assess constraints on and facilitators of youth participation in rural border regions. Knowledge about regional participation of young people is useful for developing territorialised policies. Methodology: Using a mixed method approach designed in line with theories of civic and political participation and youth studies, we analysed responses from young people to a questionnaire (n = 3968) and interviews with policymakers (n = 36) and young people (n = 20). Findings: Young people are involved in diverse types of civic and political participation and perceive more opportunities to organise initiatives than to participate in local decision-making. Constraints on participation relate to the distance between politics, governance institutions and young people, weak strategies of municipalities, lack of youth organisations and mobility. Facilitators of participation include supporting youth-led activities or involving young people in local decisions. Research implications: the study contributes to understanding youth participation in rural regions.
Disciplines :
Sociology & social sciences Education & instruction
Author, co-author :
da Silva, Sofia Marques; Centre for Research and Intervention in Education, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
DA SILVA, Nicolas ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) > Department of Social Sciences (DSOC) > Centre for Childhood and Youth Research
Arezes, Sara; University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Martins, Paulo Sérgio; Dr. Vieira de Carvalho Basic and Secondary School, Maia, Portugal
Faria, Sara; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Dias, Vitor; Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, Porto, Portugal
Silva, Ana Milheiro; Centre for Research and Intervention in Education, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
External co-authors :
yes
Language :
English
Title :
Constraints on and facilitators of young people’s participation: the case of border regions of mainland Portugal.
Publication date :
2023
Journal title :
Journal of Social Science Education
ISSN :
1618-5293
eISSN :
1611-9665
Publisher :
sowi-online e.V.
Volume :
22
Issue :
3
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funding text :
This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, IP (FCT) [grant no. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029943 / PTDC/CED-EDG/29943/2017] (SMS); the Portuguese Government, through the FCT, under CIIE’s multi-annual funding [grants no. UID/CED/00167/2019, UIDB/00167/2020 and UIDP/00167/2020] (CIIE). Ana Milheiro Silva was supported by the FCT and by the European Social Fund through the Human Capital Operational Programme (POCH) from PORTUGAL 2020 [grant no. PD/BD/128118/2016]. Nicolas Martins Silva was supported by the FCT and the European Social Fund through the Human Capital Operational Programme (POCH) from PORTUGAL 2020 [grant no. SFRH/BD/143733/2019].
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