β Scribed by Nicole Yohalem; Shanetta Martin
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Across the country, youth advocates, civic activists, community builders, and young people themselves have been calling for more meaningful roles for young people in society. This special issue brings the voices of researchers into that conversation. In doing so, it builds in important ways on a small but growing evidence base that underscores the importance of youth involvement in civic life.
As a set, these seven articles help make the case for engaging young people, particularly marginalized young people, in civic activism. While each author labels and defines civic activism somewhat differently and is interested in different aspects of youth engagement, they are consistent in their belief that psychological and sociological theories of the past century have failed to capture the critical role that civic or "sociopolitical" activism plays in both youth and community development. In response to that failure, they offer a thoughtful examination of the political dimensions of youth development and lay the groundwork for a range of important future research.
As advocates who sit at the intersection of research, practice, and policy, we would be remiss not to point out that this is an area where practice is out ahead of research. Young people are and have been working alongside adults for decades as change agents in cutting edge community development and organizing efforts around the world. In Lubec, Maine, students have reinvigorated the struggling local economy through a high school aquaculture project. In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, young grassroots organizers have educated thousands of community residents in literacy, computer skills, and sanitation and hygiene. In New Mexico, youth voice has been institutionalized at the highest levels of government through the Youth Alliance that advises the state's Children's Cabinet on issues affecting young people's lives.
While young people and adults have been "pushing the envelope on youth civic engagement," for years, to quote Watts and Flanagan's title, this volume signals a keen,
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