PARTISPACE Policy brief no. 4 Supporting Young People’s Participation Biographies

Year of production: 2018

PARTISPACE has analysed what participation means for young people in different social positions and life conditions. Research findings suggest that an understanding of participation is needed that is broader and recognises the diverse ways young people claim being a part of society. Why and how young people become active participants is connected to their biographical development.

This policy brief is concerned with the biographical meaning that young people attach to their participatory activities and the conditions under which these can be supported.

First, it gives recommendations to youth policies at local, national and European level who are concerned with empowering young people to get involved in political social and civic participation.

Second, it addresses education policies with regard to necessary changes in formal and non-formal education.

Thirdly, it refers to practitioners working with young people in formal and non-formal education.

Authors

PARTISPACE

The PARTISPACE project provides empirical knowledge on how to broaden the concepts of participation. The core of this knowledge lies in relating individual biographies of young people and the social spaces in which they act in order to understand the meaning of participation from their perspective.