Ventas estacionarias

In the previous chapter respondents discussed their facilitators for youth participation. This included the initial training and induction processes, behind-the-scenes support from adults, and regular communication with the council and local community. The respondents were unanimous in their

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feedback on what facilitated youth participation and this is consistent with findings of previous research (Barber, 2009; Craig, 2003; Hil & Bessant, 1999; Nolas, 2014; Sinclair, 2004; Taft & Gordon, 2013). This included their initial induction and training, the support they received from adults, and regular communication avenues.

Initial induction and training

Access to initial training and induction support is identified as being important to successful

participation (Barber, 2009; Craig, 2003). Three of the respondents spoke about feeling unsure about the purpose of their youth council before signing up. The fear of the unknown was quickly dissipated when they met the rest of their youth council members and started to build relationships and friendships. The initial training and induction they received provided them with a framework for the skills they needed for their new role. While many respondents spoke of continuing to learn through ‘doing’, all mentioned the importance of these initial processes. This induction and training was useful to help break down initial power imbalances, between adults and young people or the ‘haves and have-nots’ described in Arnstein’s research, and because the young people felt confident in the participation processes, it supported a high level of participation (Arnstein, 1969; Barber, 2009; Craig, 2003). Arnstein’s theory of participation is based on the premise that when the ‘haves’ or adults hold all the knowledge they have power over the ‘have-nots’ or young people. By sharing knowledge through training and induction, young people are enabled to share power and have active engagement in the participation process. Induction and training was described as an important tool by the research respondents, as it broke down barriers and increased the respondents’ confidence. This ensures adults and young people co-construct the participation processes so that everyone has a shared understanding of the aims and objectives (Barber, 2009; Craig, 2003).

Behind-the-scenes support from adults

Roger Hart, developed one of the first youth participation frameworks, the Ladder of Participation19

(Hart, 1992). Hart’s Ladder is built on the premise that adults should be encouraged as animators, promoters and facilitators of young people’s participation (Head, 2011). All of the respondents unanimously agreed the role adults play, in terms of behind-the-scenes support, was a key facilitator for youth participation, with one respondent describing adult support as being ‘wrapped in a

19 _{Chapter Three: Theory, page 25}

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blanket’. Treseder’s Model of Youth Participation20 _{also supports adult involvement by developing}

strong ties to others in three of the five prerequisites to participation: having access to people in power, working with adults who create the right environment, and developing trusting relationships. The respondents described how the involvement of adults taught them new skills and enabled them to do well in their role as youth councillors. All of the respondents spoke highly of these supports, describing how they gave stability and structure for youth participation. This confirms that the processes uses to induct and train young people are important facilitators for young people’s participation in civic activities.

Shaping participation process and valid complaint avenues

The two other prerequisites for successful youth participation described in the Model of Youth Participation are having real choice and having valid avenues to complain (Treseder, 1997). These prerequisites are important because they enable young people to be directly involved in the design and development of the ways they carry out youth participation in civic activities. None of the respondents were aware of avenues they could use to complain or to define the participation processes. Nor could they remember adults asking their views on what they felt was a facilitator or barrier for youth participation. Research suggests participation models should include space for young people to discuss their views on their preferred models of engagement (Harris et al., 2010); but none of the respondents had experienced this. Quite contrary, models and methods of

participation were pre-established in the youth councils and young people were taught through their initial induction and training how to access and use these processes. So while the respondents found the initial induction and training a facilitator for youth participation, research suggests that young people’s participation will be more successful if they have real choice on the methods and processes used and a valid avenue to complain if the participation process do not support their involvement in civic activities.

Young people’s assessment of the impact of their participation

Seeing the impact of their personal contribution to youth participation was not identified as a facilitator by the respondents. However, the importance of young people seeing the impact of youth participation, through evidence of the impact their views make in shaping civic activities, generally facilitates participation (Checkoway et al., 2003; Faulkner, 2009; Sinclair, 2004; Taft & Gordon,

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2013). This awareness motivates young people to participate in civic activities, when they see evidence of how their views shape policies and procedures that positively impact on other young people (Martínez, Peñaloza, & Valenzuela, 2012). Successful participation processes involve young people envisioning the impact they have and the changes they can bring into the participation process (Nolas, 2014; Taft & Gordon, 2013). As discussed later in this chapter young people are very aware of the external impact of youth participation and believe that better civic decisions are made as a result of youth participation, because they offer an otherwise unheard or unexplored

perspective that adults do not generally have. The facilitators identified by the respondents: initial training and induction processes, behind-the-scenes support from adults, and regular

communication with their councils and local communities; are all processes done to or for young people by others. This meant that young people did not perceive the personal impact they made, as a facilitator. Research suggests that this can inadvertently reinforce a negative societal view that positions young people as passive players in civic activities where adults continue to hold the power; rather than seeing themselves as equal active participants (Hil & Bessant, 1999).

This could point to the fact that while young people are actively involved, they are still influenced by the power imbalances described in the Empowerment Model21 _{and are involved in civic activities as} passive participants (Arnstein, 1969). In this research the respondents involved in civic decision- making could benefit from active encouragement and support to see the personal impact they made during their participation, through formal feedback processes. Feedback from adults and other young people may have encouraged these young people to reflect on their active contribution to the participation process, rather than considering participation in civic activities as something being done to them, rather than done with them. This does not detract from the importance of the facilitators identified in this research.

This section highlights the importance of supporting young people in their role as an active civic participant, including a strong induction and initial training process and supportive adults. What differs is while the respondents recognise external facilitators, they do not see themselves or their own actions as facilitators. Active participation supports the use of initial induction and training processes, adults as key facilitators to young people’s participation, and the ongoing implementation of regular communication channels to support young people’s participation in civic activities.

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