Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-cnmwb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-19T04:18:20.706Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

10 - Youth Policy Advocacy in Municipal Governance

from Part II - Participatory Governance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 April 2024

By
Astraea Augsberger  and
Mary Elizabeth Collins
Edited by
Brian D. Christens
Brian D. Christens
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
Get access

Summary

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the scholarly literature on youth engagement in policy advocacy in the context of municipal youth councils. First, the organizational structure, membership, and activities of youth councils are presented. Then, the prevalence and trends of youth councils in the US and internationally are discussed. A case exemplar of the Boston Mayor’s Youth Council and its youth-led participatory budgeting process is presented to illuminate key principles and practices of municipal youth councils, including the benefits and barriers of youth engagement on youth and communities. Then, the literature pertaining to power and empowerment processes in youth policy advocacy is reviewed, including key features of youth councils that can facilitate or impede psychological empowerment and community power. The chapter concludes with a review of implications for practitioners, leaders, policymakers, funders, and other stakeholders, as well as areas for future research.

Keywords

youth engagementyouth councilsmunicipal governancepolicy advocacyparticipatory budgeting
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Community Empowerment , pp. 262 - 286
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adu-Gyamfi, J. (2013). Can children and young people be empowered in participatory initiatives? Perspectives from young people’s participation in policy formulation and implementation in Ghana. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(10), 1766–1772.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akiva, T., Cortina, K. S., & Smith, C. (2014). Involving youth in program decision-making: How common and what might it do for youth? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(11), 1844–1860.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andersson, E. (2017). Young people’s political participation: A public pedagogy challenge at the municipal level. Young, 26(2), 179–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Augsberger, A., Collins, M. E., & Gecker, W. A. (2017a). Engaging youth in municipal government: Moving towards a youth centric practice. Journal of Community Practice, 26(1), 41–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Augsberger, A., Collins, M. E., Gecker, W., & Dougher, M. (2018). Youth civic engagement: Do youth councils reduce or reinforce social inequality? Journal of Adolescent Research, 33(2), 187–208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Augsberger, A., Collins, M. E., Gecker, W. A., Lusk, K., & Dougher, M. (2017b, January 25). Youth lead the change: Participatory budgeting Boston 2016. Boston University, Initiative on Cities. https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/20263Google Scholar
Augsberger, A., Collins, M. E., Gecker, W., Lusk, K., & Zhao, Q. J. (2017c). “She treated us like we bring valid ideas to the table”: Youth experiences of a youth-led participatory budgeting process. Children and Youth Services Review, 76(C), 243–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Augsberger, A., Gecker, W., & Collins, M. E. (2019a). “We make a direct impact on people’s lives”: Youth empowerment in the context of a youth-led participatory budgeting project. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(3), 462–476.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Augsberger, A., Springwater, J. S., Hilliard-Koshinsky, G., Barber, K., & Sprague-Martinez, L. (2019b). Youth engagement in policy-advocacy: Examination of a multi-state former and current foster care youth coalition. Children and Youth Services Review, 107, 104491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Augsberger, A., Toraif, N., Springwater, J., Hilliard-Koshinsky, G., & Sprague Martinez, L. (2020). Strategies for engaging current and former foster care youth in policy advocacy: Lessons from the New England Youth Coalition. Child Welfare, 97(6), 251–270.Google Scholar
Bessell, S. (2009). Children’s participation in decision-making in the Philippines: Understanding the attitudes of policy-makers and service providers. Childhood, 16(3), 299–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blanchet-Cohen, N., Manolson, S., & Shaw, K. (2014). Youth-led decision making in community development grants. Youth & Society, 46(6), 819–834.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Casas, F., González, M., Montserrat, C., Navarro, D., Malo, S., Figuer, C., & Bertran, I. (2008). Informe sobre experiencias de participación social efectiva de niños, niñas y adolescentes [Childhood and young people’s effective social participation report]. Observatorio de la infancia.Google Scholar
Checkoway, B. (2011). What is youth participation? Children and Youth Services Review, 33(2), 340–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Checkoway, B., Allison, T., & Montoya, C. (2005). Youth participation in public policy at the municipal level. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(10), 1149–1162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
City of Boston. (n.d.). Mayor’s Youth Council. City of Boston. www.boston.gov/departments/youth-engagement-and-employment/mayors-youth-councilGoogle Scholar
Cohen, A. K., & Chaffee, B. W. (2013). The relationship between adolescents’ civic knowledge, civic attitude, and civic behavior and their self-reported future likelihood of voting. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 8(1), 43–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collins, M. E., & Mead, M. (2021). Social constructions of children and youth: Beyond dependents and deviants. Journal of Social Policy, 50(3), 493–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, M. E., Augsberger, A., & Gecker, W. A. (2016). Youth councils in municipal government: Examination of activities, impact and barriers. Children and Youth Services Review, 65, 140–147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, M. E., Augsberger, A., & Gecker, W. A. (2018). Identifying policy and practice components of youth councils: Contributions of theory. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 35, 599–610.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, M. E., Augsberger, A., & Kerzner-Sirois, L. (2022). Examining civic engagement opportunities for system-involved youth: A comparative analysis. Journal of Youth Studies, 25(4), 416–432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cushing, D. F., & van Vliet, W. (2017). Children’s right to the city: The emergence of youth councils in the United States. Children’s Geographies, 15(3), 319–333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Einstein, K. L., Glick, D., & LeBlanc, C. (2017, January 10). 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors. Boston University, Initiative on Cities. http://hdl.handle.net/2144/19829Google Scholar
Feldmann-Wojtachnia, E., Gretschel, A., Helmisaari, V., Kiilakoski, T., Matthies, A., Meinhold-Henschel, S., Roth, R., & Tasanko, P. (2010). Youth participation in Finland and in Germany – Status analysis and data based recommendations. The Finnish Youth Research Network and Forschungsgruppe Jugend & Europa am CAP, Ludwig Maximilians Universität.Google Scholar
Feringa, D., & Tonkens, E. (2017). How the participation style in local youth councils contributes to the civic engagement of young people. Journal of Social Intervention: Theory and Practice, 26(2), 43–59.Google Scholar
Finlay, S. (2010). Carving out meaningful spaces for youth participation and engagement in decision-making. Youth Studies Australia, 29(4), 53–59.Google Scholar
Forenza, B. (2017). Awareness, analysis, engagement: Critical consciousness through foster care youth advisory board participation. Child Adolescent Social Work Journal, 35(2), 119–126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forenza, B., & Happonen, R. (2016). A critical analysis of foster youth advisory boards in the United States. Child & Youth Care Forum, 45(1), 107–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Freeman, C., Nairn, K., & Sligo, J. (2003). “Professionalising” participation: From rhetoric to practice. Children’s Geographies, 1(1), 53–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godfrey, E. B., & Cherng, H.-Y. S. (2016). The kids are all right? Income inequality and civic engagement among our nation’s youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45, 2218–2232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haddad, K., Lindquist-Grantz, R., Vilvens, H., Boards, A., Jacquez, F., & Vaughn, L. (2020). Empowering youth to build BRIDGES: Youth leadership in suicide prevention. Collaborations, 3(1), 10.Google Scholar
Harada, A. (2021). How to involve a diverse group of young people in local government decision making: A case study of Danish youth councils. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 53, 820–836.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hart, R. A. (1992). Children’s participation: From tokenism to citizenship (Innocenti Essay No. 4). International Child Development Centre. www.unicef-irc.org/publications/100-childrens-participation-from-tokenism-to-citizenship.htmlGoogle Scholar
Hart, R. A. (2013). Children’s participation: The theory and practice of involving young citizens in community development and environmental care. Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Havlicek, J., & Samuels, G. M. (2018). The Illinois state foster youth advisory board as a counter-space for well-being through identity work: Perspectives of current and former members. Social Services Review, 92(2), 241–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Havlicek, J., Lin, C.-H., & Villalpando, F. (2016). Web survey of foster youth advisory boards in the United States. Children and Youth Services Review, 60, 109–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jostyn, J. (1945). The Manhasset Youth Council. The Journal of Educational Sociology, 18(3), 417–425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Komel, R. (2018). “Never about them without them”: The Ottawa Police Service’s youth advisory committee as an opportunity for youth civic engagement [Doctoral dissertation]. Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa.Google Scholar
Mansfield, R. G., Batagol, B., & Raven, R. (2021). “Critical agents of change?”: Opportunities and limits to children’s participation in urban planning. Journal of Planning Literature, 36(2), 170–186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, S., Pittman, K., Ferber, T., & McMahon, A. (2007). Building effective youth councils: A practical guide to engaging youth in policy making. The Forum for Youth Investment.Google Scholar
Matthews, H. (2001). Citizenship, youth councils and young people’s participation. Journal of Youth Studies, 4(3), 299–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matthews, H., & Limb, M. (1998). The right to say: The development of youth councils/forums within the UK. Area, 30(1), 66–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moreno, M. A., Jolliff, A., & Kerr, B. (2021). Youth advisory boards: Perspectives and processes. Journal of Adolescent Health, 69(2), 192–194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nairn, K., Sligo, J., & Freeman, C. (2006). Polarizing participation in local government: Which young people are included and excluded? Children, Youth, and Environments, 16(2), 248–273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National League of Cities. (2020). Authentic youth engagement: A guide for municipal leaders. National League of Cities. www.youthlead.org/resources/authentic-youth-civic-engagement-guide-municipal-leadersGoogle Scholar
Nir, T., & Perry-Hazan, L. (2016). The framed right to participate in municipal youth councils and its educational impact. Children and Youth Services Review, 69, 174–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramey, H. L., Lawford, H. L., & Vachon, W. (2017). Youth–adult partnerships in work with youth: An overview. Journal of Youth Development, 12(4), 38–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards-Schuster, K., & Checkoway, B. (2009). Youth participation in public policy at the local level: New lessons from Michigan municipalities: Youth participation in public policy at the local level. National Civic Review, 98(4), 26–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards-Schuster, K., Pritzker, S., & Rodriguez-Newhall, A. (2018, May 24). Youth empowerment. Encyclopedia of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1077CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sant, E., & Davies, I. (2018). Promoting participation at a time of social and political turmoil: What is the impact of children’s and young people’s city councils? Cambridge Journal of Education, 48(3), 371–387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schneider, A., & Ingram, H. (1993). Social construction of target populations: Implications for politics and policy. American Political Science Review, 87(2), 334–347.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shier, H. (2001). Pathways to participation: Openings, opportunities and obligations. Children & Society, 15(2), 107–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taft, J. K., & Gordon, H. R. (2013). Youth activists, youth councils, and constrained democracy. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 8(1), 87–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wall, J. (2011). Can democracy represent children? Toward a politics of difference. Childhood, 19, 86–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wong, N. T., Zimmerman, M. A., & Parker, E. A. (2010). A typology of youth participation and empowerment for child and adolescent health promotion. American Journal of Community Psychology, 46(1–2), 100–114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wyness, M. (2009). Children representing children: Participation and the problem of diversity in UK youth councils. Childhood, 16(4), 535–552.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Youniss, J., & Levine, P. (2009). Engaging young people in civic life. Vanderbilt University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zaff, J., Boyd, M., Li, Y., Lerner, J. V., & Lerner, R. M. (2010). Active and engaged citizenship: Multi-group and longitudinal factoral analysis of an integrated construct of civic engagement. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39, 736–750.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zeldin, S., Camino, L., & Calvert, M. (2007). Toward an understanding of youth in community governance: Policy priorities and research directions. Analise Psicologica, 1(XXV), 77–95.Google Scholar
Zeldin, S., Christens, B. D., & Powers, J. L. (2013). The psychology and practice of youth–adult partnership: Bridging generations for youth development and community change. American Journal of Community Psychology, 51(3–4), 385–397.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×