Youth Participation

MSc Youth Participation

Full-Time Programme

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

• Supported by a vibrant centre of research and teaching expertise in voluntary and community studies, youth, policy, governance and citizenship.
• Benefits from close links with the Institute for Voluntary Action Research and International Centre for Education for Democratic Citizenship.
• Strong partnerships with the Citizenship Foundation, Participation Works and the National Foundation for Educational Research.

At a time when major change is occurring in the position of young people in contemporary Britain, policy responses are offering mixed messages, with increased controls on the one hand and greater empowerment on the other. This exciting programme offers those working with, or concerned about, young people the opportunity to explore relevant theory, research and policy developments and apply this study to practice in increasingly inter-professional settings.

The programme covers related but separate discourses about youth participation, volunteering and citizenship education, and young people's engagement in both civil and civic society. It develops conceptual knowledge, understanding and critical reflection through a multidisciplinary approach, and will enable you to analyse practice based on a wider appreciation of political, sociological and psychological theory. It also provides opportunities to develop innovative models in research and project-based assignments relevant to individual interests, the sector and the field of study.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the political, sociological and psychological theories informing approaches to engaging youth in civil and civic society.
• Demonstrate critical understanding of recent and contemporary policy frameworks affecting young people's engagement.
• Identify key concepts, ideologies and social movements affecting recent developments in working with young people.
• Demonstrate an understanding of research design and techniques and an ability to apply this critically to relevant field-based research.
• Demonstrate understanding of the varied contexts and practices associated with participative work with young people, through critical reflection on research and approaches from different disciplines.
• Apply an understanding of wider debates on identity, diversity, inclusion and social justice to the research and practice of youth participation.
• Draw on ethical reasoning and debates concerned with participation to examine appropriate strategies for working with young people, including in research.
• Apply a knowledge of organisational and change management theories to understandings of work with young people in public and third sector structures, systems and cultures.
• Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate research theory and practice and how to structure research approaches.