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30 - Youth Participatory Action Research in Urban Public Education

Underrepresented Youth Addressing Social Justice in the United States

from Part III - Regional and Country Case Studies on Social Justice for Youth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2020

By
Jack Baker ,
Paul Flaspohler ,
Katelyn Wargel  and
Tammy Schwartz
Edited by
Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers ,
Aradhana Bela Sood  and
Mark D. Weist
Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers
Affiliation:
Rutgers University, New Jersey
Aradhana Bela Sood
Affiliation:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Mark D. Weist
Affiliation:
University of South Carolina
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Summary

The public education provided to nonwhite youth in urban communities is a central social justice issue contributing to racial inequity in the United States. Significant disproportionality exists between urban and suburban education, causing urban minority youth to become disengaged from schooling that does not adequately serve their needs. Youth participatory action research (YPAR), a strategy through which youth act as co-researchers alongside professional researchers and community members investigating social justice issues, can help to reengage urban youth in their education by creating conditions around which youth want to learn. This chapter introduces YPAR as a mechanism through which urban education can be more tailored to the unique experiences of urban minority youth. A case study is provided that illustrates how YPAR youth participants grow more conscious of social justice issues facing them and their community, while also developing their sense of agency relative to being able to confront these issues action. Additionally, this case study explores how future urban educators can adopt YPAR practices and principles to develop a more culturally responsive pedagogy. Suggestions for YPAR facilitation are given, while specific challenges are discussed that must be met when attempting the implementation of YPAR.

Keywords

youth participatory action research (YPAR)urban schoolsempowermentsocial justiceeducationcritical consciousnessyouth agency
Type
Chapter
Information
Social Justice for Children and Young People
International Perspectives
 , pp. 460 - 476
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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