Citizenship and Empowering Processes: A Study of Youth Experiences of Participation in Leisure Activities

Abstract

The current study seeks to enrich our understanding of citizenship behaviour in the setting of meeting places for youth such as youth clubs, by identifying the main factors that may enhance this behaviour among youth leaders. Of special interest is whether youth leaders' or similar staffers' empowerment can serve as a mediator between young people's expectations about influence and participation and the development of their citizenship. Of interest are both empowering processes as well as empowered outcomes. The method used was a questionnaire sent out to young people visiting youth clubs and similar meeting places for the young, followed up with interviews. In the study, it was found that in youth clubs and similar meeting places for youth, empowering processes take place and, furthermore, that the young people have the chance to develop their citizenship there. On one hand, the study indicates that youth clubs and similar meeting places can be environments for shared possibilities for citizens. On the other hand, it is possible to be critical of the positive responses from the youth in taking part in the study, because if they felt negative they would not come back, which indicates the necessity of further research. To conclude, citizenship and empowerment embrace aspects of youth transition and outcomes of youth development concurrently.