The significance of youth clubs in relation to young people’s capacity for action

Christoffer Schultz*, Dirk Michel-Schertges

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Book/anthology/dissertation/reportAnthologyResearchpeer-review

Abstract

In the Nordic welfare states, the youth club is a voluntary offer for all young people to attend and socialize, regardless of their social and economic background. The original idea with the emergence of youth club in the Nordic welfare states was to offer a safe place for young people to spend their leisure time as an alternative to hang on the street corners, fall into criminal life trajectories and have a place to socialize and have positive relations with other young people and adults. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the significance of youth work in youth clubs in relation to young people’s capacity for action, emancipatory processes and development of social inclusion. Following a brief run-through of the historical emergence of youth work and youth clubs in the (Western) industrialized countries, the chapter focuses on the emancipatory aspects of youth work in youth clubs within the Nordic welfare states and in relation to inequality and social exclusion. The chapter draws on critical theoretical concepts such as socio-spatial appropriation as understood through the works of among others Stephan Sting, and subjective capacity for action as it is developed within the German/Danish tradition of critical psychology. The analysis is based on a specific case of an 18-year-old young man from a low socio-economic background and an upbringing in a socially deprived housing area of Denmark. The chapter will discuss the significance for the young man of participating in the local youth club in relation to emancipation and subjective capacity for action.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherRoutledge
Number of pages21
Publication statusSubmitted - 2024

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The significance of youth clubs in relation to young people’s capacity for action'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this