Professionalisation - youth work in the free market?

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Manu Caddie Member	# Posted: 21 Mar 2009 22:57 - Edited by: Manu Caddie Reply A new report questioning the role and value of youth mentoring has been published by the conservative UK think tank "Centre for Policy Studies". The report (http://www.cps.org.uk/cpsfile.asp?id=1036) criticises the wide use of youth mentoring schemes by public bodies, and contends that mentoring "should be seen as a highly skilled, specific form of intervention and that mentors should be more carefully recruited and trained". The report also "calls for a properly resourced control trial to ascertain precisely who can benefit most from mentoring". When I read this summary I thought the conclusions and recommendations sounded fair enough - but on further reflection in relation to the publisher's raison d'être being to strengthen the neo-liberal freemarket agenda over all sectors of society with a particular focus on influencing public policy: "The aim of the Centre for Policy Studies is to develop and promote policies that provide freedom and encouragement for individuals to pursue the aspirations they have for themselves and their families, within the security and obligations of a stable and law-abiding nation." I realised how this kind of 'research' can be an effective way to help transform caring youth work relationships into a commodities that can be packaged and purchased. That got me thinking about the current NYWNA Discussion Documents on (a) defining youth work and (b) whether or not the YW sector should have a professional body - and the Code of Ethics released last year (amid some controversy about how much government influence - some would say extortion - was applied to content of the final COE document). I've been assuming that if youth work was defined it could be inclusive of both paid and volunteer activities. Considering the thrust of the CPS report it is easy tos ee how quickly a concept and practice like youth mentoring can be turned into a private sector commodity instead of maintaining its traditional role as an essential socio-cultural mechanism that all healthy societies and cultures have maintained as the way to transition children to adulthood - without expectation of immediate material reward for the mentor. There certainly seems to be a lot of interest in some government circles about these developments in the sector - which is understandable given the level of public money being spent on youth development services. I think we need to think very carefully about how the youth work sector may be being manipulated by 'market' mindsets that have been alien to youth work until very recently. - Manu
Lone Ranger Member	# Posted: 22 Apr 2009 16:10 Reply Gotta say I agree with you, the Centre for Policy Studies seems to have recommendations that are in conflict with its aims. The UK is a good model for how youthwork can be manipulated and how the latest fashions in processes can completely override any outcomes being achieved. The subject of how youthwork could be manipulated, how, who by and in what way(s) would make an excellent topic for a Hui...
Emile Grey Member	# Posted: 24 May 2009 15:09 Reply New Zealand is great for having Hui's.... "and going home sitting on the couch, having a cup of coffee and talking about it" Dr Peta Sharples And I would agree! Society and it's cliques, culture and agendas tend to stick together rather then work together!.... Emile Grey
Manu Caddie Member	# Posted: 24 May 2009 15:38 Reply There's some interesting research on deliberative vs participatory democracy that shows how the more money you have access to, the more you are able to control who you have to interact with and most people who have the choice end up hanging out with people much like themselves. Dr Sharples comments are very true... talk can be a good thing if it shifts opinion that leads to more informed personal and collective action. I always used to beat up on conferences and wonder why people organised so many of them - I guess they are a way to share and test ideas and action should be directed by robust ideas - the danger is that the hui become the action (particularly for academics, researchers and policy designers) instead of transformative action being the action... similarly online forums can be good places to share and test ideas but are no substitute for transformative action grounded in sustained relationships. Manu

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