Description
Book SynopsisThis book asks how far and in what way social inclusion policies are meeting the needs and rights of children and young people. Leading authors write from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines including social policy, education, geography and sociology. The book critically examines the concepts of participation and social inclusion and their links with children and childhoods and considers the geography of social inclusion and exclusion. It explores young people's own conceptualisations of social inclusion and exclusion; and examines how these concepts have been expressed in policy at various levels. The book concludes with an agenda for progressing participation and social inclusion, both for and with children and young people. "Children, young people and social inclusion" will be of interest to academics, students and policy makers, as well as to a wide range of practitioners including teachers, youth workers, participation workers and those working in interagency settings.
Trade Review"A welcome addition to the literature." Annie Franklin, Youth & Policy
"This book is recommended reading for anyone involved in developing or researching participation, strategic management and those wanting to develop skills and knowledge in working in this way. It covers a wide variety of important issues and offers both a theoretical and practical way forward for staff at all levels within agencies working with and for children, including the new Children's Trust arrangements in the UK." British Journal of Social Work
"By bringing together theory and research on the social exclusion of children and the social participation of children, this book makes important conceptual strides towards a vision of citizenship in a participatory democracy for all. It reveals that, while there have been advances in enabling children and youth to have a voice in society, much needs to be done to improve how we listen to marginalized children in addressing issues of poverty and the uneven distribution of resources and services. In so doing it projects an important agenda for future inter-disciplinary research with children." Roger Hart, Director of the Children's Environments Research Group (CERG), The City University of New York
Table of ContentsSection A: Introduction ~ John M. Davis and Malcolm Hill; Section B: Children and poverty: Child poverty: a barrier to social participation and inclusion ~ Tess Ridge; Children's perspectives on social exclusion and resilience in disadvantaged urban communities ~ Malcolm Hill, Katrina Turner, Moira Walker, Anne Stafford and Peter Seaman; Children and the local economy: another way to achieve social inclusion ~ Rosie Edwards; Section C: Participation: Politics and policy: Reconnecting and extending the research agenda on children's participation: mutual incentives and the participation chain ~ Alan Prout, Richard Simmons and Johnston Birchall; Included in governance: children's participation in 'public' decision making ~ Kay Tisdall and Robert Bell; The Irish National Children's Strategy: lessons for promoting the social inclusion of children and young people ~ John Pinkerton; International developments in children's participation: lessons and challenges ~ Gerison Lansdown; Section D: Opening up theoretical spaces for inclusion and participation: Spaces of participation and inclusion? ~ Michael Gallagher; From children's services to children's spaces ~ Peter Moss; Child-adult relations in social space ~ Berry Mayall; Participation with purpose ~ Liam Cairns; Section E: Conclusion: Concluding reflections: social inclusion, the welfare state and understanding children's participation ~ Alan Prout and E. Kay M. Tisdall.
