For our members who attended the ‘hot topic’ session back at the conference in 2019, we are now excited to share the special issue published in Educational Review: Youth Activism, Climate Change and Education. Edited by Ian McGimpsey, David Rousell and Frances Howard, this special issue contains 7 excellent articles, which offer transnational perspectives on the problematic of climate change education.
We are thinking of having some other events in the coming year, possibly in conjunction with TAGPALYCW members and wanted to gauge your interest.
Challenging heteronormativity in and through youth work
While LGBTQ+ youth work has a long history, the quality of these services, their impact, and the views of workers remains under researched (Formby, 2013). Research and practice has also primarily focused on work with LGBTQ+ youth, rather than on interrupting heteronormativity more generally (Seal, 2019). Formby (2013) found that while challenging blatant discrimination, many workers also display heteronormative assumptions in other areas such as adoption and the family. There are no doubt excellent examples of youth work practice and research in this area that we can draw on and share.
Neurodiversity and Youth Work
Does youth work, which often emphasises spontaneity, association and working in the moment, work for all neurodiverse young people. As Friel et al (2019) said in their conference proceedings for Community Youth Work Practice and Autism Spectrum Conditions - ‘Our practice must go beyond traditional approaches to strive for opportunities that aim towards optimal well-being. We must challenge the deficit approach, the myth of ‘the normal’ - the average- in our understanding of inclusion and participation. The youth service in its broadest sense should look more holistically in terms of actively reaching out to and engaging the diversity of young people in their communities’.
Both of these events aim to draw in practitioners and academics, looking at any sharing ideas and research. Could you email us with ideas of people and projects we could contact and how we could frame these events. We will put out a call for them in due course. We are also keen to develop publications from them.
Any ideas, or interest, please email Mike Seal: national.officer@tagpalycw.org