A Handbook of Children and Young People's Participation : Perspectives from Theory and Practice

A Handbook of Children and Young People's Participation brings together key thinkers and practitioners from diverse contexts across the globe to provide an authoritative overview of contemporary theory and practice around children’s participation. Promoting the participation of children and young people – in decision-making and policy development, and as active contributors to everyday family and community life – has become a central part of policy and programme initiatives in both majority and minority worlds. This book presents the most useful recent work in children’s participation as a resource for academics, students and practitioners in childhood studies, children’s rights and welfare, child and family social work, youth and community work, governance, aid and development programmes. The book introduces key concepts and debates, and presents a rich collection of accounts of the diverse ways in which children’s participation is understood and enacted around the world, interspersed with reflective commentaries from adults and young people. It concludes with a number of substantial theoretical contributions that aim to take forward our understanding of children’s participation. The emphasis throughout the text is on learning from the complexity of children’s participation in practice to improve our theoretical understanding, and on using those theoretical insights to challenge practice, with the aim of realising children’s rights and citizenship more fully. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Illustrations......Page 11 Contributors......Page 13 Foreword......Page 20 Introduction......Page 24 Part I Children’s participation: Progress and challenges......Page 32 1 The realisation of children’s participation rights: Critical reflections......Page 34 2 Challenges of participatory practice with children......Page 47 3 Children’s participation in Bangladesh: Issues of agency and structures of violence......Page 62 Part II Learning about children’s participation in practice......Page 74 4 Children’s participation in armed conflict and postconflict peace building......Page 76 5 The participation of children living in the poorest and most difficult situations......Page 86 6 Dikwankwetla – Children in Action: Children’s participation in the law reform process in South Africa......Page 96 Commentary 1: Participation in contexts of social change......Page 106 7 Younger children’s individual participation in ‘all matters affecting the child’......Page 111 8 Disabled children and participation in the UK: Reality or rhetoric?......Page 120 9 Participation among young people with mental health issues: Redefining the boundaries......Page 128 10 Advocacy for children in family group conferences: Reflections on personal and public decision making......Page 136 Commentary 2: Reflections on the participation of particular groups......Page 144 11 Questioning understandings of children’s participation: Applying a cross-cultural lens......Page 148 12 The construction of childhood and the socialisation of children in Ghana: Implications for the implementation of Article 12 of the CRC......Page 156 13 Youth participation in indigenous traditional communities......Page 164 Commentary 3: Participation in the traps of cultural diversity......Page 173 14 Rights through evaluation and understanding children’s realities......Page 177 15 Children’s participation in school and community: European perspectives......Page 187 16 Building towards effective participation: A learning-based network approach to youth participation......Page 197 17 Getting the measure of children and young people’s participation: An exploration of practice in Wales......Page 207 Commentary 4: Methods and frameworks......Page 216 18 ‘No one ever listens to us’: Challenging obstacles to the participation of children and young people in Rwanda......Page 219 19 Child reporters as agents of change......Page 227 20 ‘Pathways to participation’ revisited: Learning from Nicaragua’s child coffee workers......Page 238 21 Students as professionals: The London Secondary School Councils Action Research Project......Page 253 Commentary 5: On strategies and practices......Page 263 22 Children’s participation in citizenship and governance......Page 268 23 Maintaining the status quo?: Appraising the effectiveness of youth councils in Scotland......Page 277 24 More than crumbs from the table: A critique of youth parliaments as models of representation for marginalised young people......Page 285 25 Nil desperandum as long as you carpe diem......Page 293 26 In search of agency: Participation in a youth organisation in Turkey......Page 300 Commentary 6: Spaces and structures Looking from the outside......Page 310 PART III New theoretical perspectives......Page 314 27 Children’s participation as a struggle over recognition: Exploring the promise of dialogue......Page 316 28 Children and deliberative democracy in England......Page 329 29 Governance and participation......Page 341 30 After participation: The socio-spatial performance of intergenerational becoming......Page 353 31 Children as active citizens: An agenda for children’s civil rights and civic engagement......Page 366 Conclusion: Emerging themes and new directions......Page 379 Index......Page 390 The realisation of children's participation rights : critical reflections / Gerison Lansdown Challenges of participatory practice with children / Karen Malone and Catherine Hartung Children's participation in Bangladesh : issues of agency and structures of violence / Sarah White and Shyamol Choudhury Children's participation in armed conflict and post conflict peace building / Clare Feinstein, Annette Giertsen and Claire O'Kane The participation of children living in the poorest and most difficult situations / Patricia Ray Children in action : children's participation in the law reform process in South Africa / Lucy Jamieson and Wanjiru Mukoma Younger children's individual participation in "all matters affecting the child" / Priscilla Alderson Disabled children and participation in the UK : reality or rhetoric? / Anita Franklin and Kate Martin Participation among young people with mental health issue : redefining the boundaries / Ann Dadich Advocacy for children in family group conferences : reflections on personal and public decision making / Perpetua Kirby and Sophie Laws Questioning understandings of children's participation : applying a cross-cultural lens / Jan Mason, Natalie Bolzan, and colleagues The construction of childhood and the socialisation of children in Ghana : implications for the implementation of article 12 of the CRC / Afua Twum-Danso Youth participation in indigenous traditional communities / Yolanda Corona Caraveo, Carlos Perez and Julián Hernández Rights through evaluation and understanding children's realities / Vicky Johnson Children's participation in school and the local community : lessons from an international project / Renate Kr'nzl-Nagl and Ulrike Zartler Building towards effective participation : a learning-based network approach to youth participation / Tiina Sotkasiira, Lotta Haikkola, and Liisa Horelli Getting the measure of children and young people's participation : an exploration of practice in Wales / Anne Crowley and Anna Skeels "No one ever listens to us" : challenging obstacles to the participation of children and young people in Rwanda / Kirrily Pells Child reporters as agents of change / Lalatendu Acharya "Pathways to participation" revisited : learning from Nicaragua's child coffee-workers / Harry Shier "Students as professionals" : the London Secondary School Councils action research project / Hiromi Yamashita and Lynn Davies Children's participation in citizenship and governance / Sara Austin Maintaining the status quo : appraising the effectiveness of youth councils in Scotland / Brian McGinley, Ann Grieve, and Andrea Reynolds More than crumbs from the table : critiquing youth parliaments as models of representation for marginalised young people / Alan Turkie Nil desperandum as long as you carpe diem / Jack Lewars In search of agency : participation in a youth organisation in Turkey / Fahriye Sancar and Yucel Severcan Children's participation as a struggle over recognition : exploring the promise of dialogue / Robyn Fitzgerald, Anne Graham, Anne Smith, and Nicola Taylor Children and deliberative democracy / Tom Cockburn Governance and participation / Kay Tisdall After participation : the socio-spatial performance of intergenerational becoming / Greg Mannion Children as active citizens : an agenda for children's civil rights and civic engagement / Joachim Theis.

A Handbook of Children and Young People's Participation brings together key thinkers and practitioners from diverse contexts across the globe to provide an authoritative overview of contemporary theory and practice around children’s participation.

Promoting the participation of children and young people – in decision-making and policy development, and as active contributors to everyday family and community life – has become a central part of policy and programme initiatives in both majority and minority worlds. This book presents the most useful recent work in children’s participation as a resource for academics, students and practitioners in childhood studies, children’s rights and welfare, child and family social work, youth and community work, governance, aid and development programmes.

The book introduces key concepts and debates, and presents a rich collection of accounts of the diverse ways in which children’s participation is understood and enacted around the world, interspersed with reflective commentaries from adults and young people. It concludes with a number of substantial theoretical contributions that aim to take forward our understanding of children’s participation.

The emphasis throughout the text is on learning from the complexity of children’s participation in practice to improve our theoretical understanding, and on using those theoretical insights to challenge practice, with the aim of realising children’s rights and citizenship more fully.

'a Handbook Of Children's Participation' Brings Key Thinkers And Practitioners From Across The Globe Together To Provide An Authoritative Overview Of Contemporary Theory And Practice Around Children's Participation. The Realisation Of Children's Participation Rights : Critical Reflections / Gerison Lansdown -- Challenges Of Participatory Practice With Children / Karen Malone And Catherine Hartung -- Children's Participation In Bangladesh : Issues Of Agency And Structures Of Violence / Sarah White And Shyamol Choudhury -- Children's Participation In Armed Conflict And Post Conflict Peace Building / Clare Feinstein, Annette Giertsen And Claire O'kane -- The Participation Of Children Living In The Poorest And Most Difficult Situations / Patricia Ray -- Dikwankwetla-- Children In Action : Children's Participation In The Law Reform Process In South Africa / Lucy Jamieson And Wanjiru Mukoma -- Younger Children's Individual Participation In All Matters Affecting The Child / Priscilla Alderson -- Disabled Children And Participation In The Uk : Reality Or Rhetoric? / Anita Franklin And Kate Martin -- Participation Among Young People With Mental Health Issue : Redefining The Boundaries / Ann Dadich --^ Edited By Barry Percy-smith And Nigel Thomas. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A Handbook of Children and Young People's Participation brings key thinkers and practitioners from across the globe together to provide an authoritative overview of contemporary theory and practice around children's participation.