In a period where social unrest manifests itself through the coincidence with young people's dissatisfaction with formal political involvement and the diversification of protest movements across the globe, the question of youth participation is at the forefront of democratic societies. This book aims to investigate the extent and conditionality of young people's active citizenship. What conditions are imposed on young people's citizenship? How are young people treated in a society that extols such citizenship and how do they subjectively experience active citizenship? Part 1 examines official ... More

In a period where social unrest manifests itself through the coincidence with young people's dissatisfaction with formal political involvement and the diversification of protest movements across the globe, the question of youth participation is at the forefront of democratic societies. This book aims to investigate the extent and conditionality of young people's active citizenship. What conditions are imposed on young people's citizenship? How are young people treated in a society that extols such citizenship and how do they subjectively experience active citizenship? Part 1 examines official and unofficial constructions of participation by young people in a range of socio-political domains, exploring the motivations and rationales, underlying official attempts to increase participation among young people, and offering a critique of their effectiveness. Based on original research data, the three next parts provide a thorough analysis of participation initiatives at the implementation level giving a transversal approach to various areas of youth participation (civic, formal and informal education, ICT, learning, youth culture). Part 2 presents national and local policies for youth participation. Part 3 explores young people agencies in the creation of new spaces of participation. Part 4 analyses the recurring link between participation and learning. Drawing on examples of youth participation carried out across European countries, the book analyses the results of structure on youth participation and the effects of youth agencies on the types of mobilisation.