Youth Unemployed—Observations on the Community Youth Support Scheme

Tasmanian CYSS experience reveals the centres are predominantly attended by single young males with minimal educational and employment qualifications. This group also revealed evidence of childhood adversity and current domestic problems. The CYSS project was often considered of doubtful value in procuring a job but nevertheless the centres seem to provide valuable social contact and emotional support. There was less evidence of psychological malaise. Whilst CYSS projects are prohibited from searching for employment, counselling and the selling of goods produced by the centre, in fact, the centres often evade these prohibitions.     

Youth Political Development: An Introduction

Research on political socialization during the 1950s focused on early precursors of political attitudes and treated children as rather passive participants in the process. A second wave of research in the 1960s considered youth a force creating social change and held that the transition between adolescence and adulthood was a period uniquely suited to examining political issues. Developmental research during the past two decades has emphasized lifelong plasticity and the importance of the sociohistorical contexts in which children grow up. This change in views of development has occurred at a time when populations in all societies are becoming more diverse and when there have been dramatic economic and sociopolitical upheavals throughout the world. Thus there is a renewed importance for research on the political development of young people and the potential for examining this topic in increasingly meaningful ways. This issue highlights a new generation of research in this domain, paying particular attention to international and comparative work and to those studies that bring a fresh and developmental approach.     

Residential Programmes for Children and Youth: An Exercise in Re-framing

Summary The key functions of residential programmes for children andyouth irrespective of their location in the health care, education,social welfare or criminal justice system are identified inthis paper. The issues of mandate for and status of those servicesis addressed. Finally, a series of propositions are offeredwhich seek to show how those factors influence the social positionand public credibility accorded to those important componentsof the group care field.     

The Aftercare Support Program: An Emerging Group Intervention for Transition-Aged Youth

The unique challenges faced by transition-aged youth have received considerable attention in the literature, but few developments for aftercare support interventions have followed. The Aftercare Support Program (ASP) is a group-based intervention designed for such youth. ASP was developed as a zero budget, low-intensity intervention delivered by volunteers from a local college/university and youth-serving agencies to encourage transition-aged youth to pursue postsecondary education and vocational training by utilizing existing community resources and services. The underlying theoretical concepts are derived from solution-focused brief therapy and a strengths-perspective in social work. Case vignettes, including feedback from participants and lessons learned are offered, along with implications for the ASP model and other aftercare support models for transition-aged youth at a time when public and private funds for such programs are limited.     

Promoting Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem for Multiethnic Sexual Minority Youth: An Evidence-Informed Intervention

ABSTRACT

Sexual minority youth face multiple challenges, yet research regarding evidence-informed practice strategies for this population is limited. This study describes the pilot efforts of Strengths First, the first strengths-based intervention created specifically to promote self-esteem and self-efficacy among multiethnic sexual minority youth. A pretest–posttest design was used to gather preliminary data from program participants (n = 162) about the potential effectiveness of the program during a 2-year period that ranged from the inception of the program in June 2008 to September 2010. Significant increases in self-esteem and self-efficacy were found. Implications for social service research and practice are discussed.     

Queer Youth Space: A Protective Factor for Sexual Minority Youth

Physical, psychological, and social vulnerabilities of sexual minority youth are well documented. Yet factors that protect this population from these risks remain relatively unknown. Previous researchers suggest that (1) a sense of safety, meaningful relationships with others, and positive identity development are protective and (2) social support programs focusing on sexual minority youth (Queer Youth Space) have a positive impact. In this article, Queer Youth Space is explored as a program that may promote protective factors and mediate risks. Theories of attachment, self psychology, and social identity are applied to conceptualize Queer Youth Space and its protective roles. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.     

Full Employment: An Outmoded Objective in a Technological Age

The author argues that pursuit of the full employment objective retards economic progress in technologically advanced countries, It has been suggested that the rate of technological adoption should be retarded where it leads to increases in unemployment. The author argues that technological adoption should be encouraged because it frees people from employment, releasing them for work. A clear distinction is drawn between employment and work. The question of income distribution is briefly addressed.     

Powerful Youth: Determining Successful Participation in an HIV Support Group for Youth

In this article, the authors report on a qualitative study that explored the use of narrative therapy with a diverse group of older adults dealing with mental health and substance misuse issues. Narrative therapy supports individuals to critically assess their lives and develop alternative and empowering life stories that aim to keep the problem in its place. Although the literature suggests this is a promising intervention for individuals, there is a lack of research on narrative therapy and group work. Aiming to address this gap, the authors developed and researched a narrative therapy group for older adults coping with mental health and substance misuse issues in Toronto, Canada. Taking an ethnographic approach, field notes and interviews provided rich data on how, when, and for whom, such a group could be beneficial. Findings contribute to the literature on group work, older adults, and narrative therapy.     

Continuity and change in the Community Development Employment Projects Scheme (CDEP)

The Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) scheme is an example of an Indigenous‐specific program that combines community development and labour market program elements. This paper describes the nature of CDEP employment in 2008 and the extent to which it changed between 1994 and 2008. The paper also compares a selection of economic and social outcomes of CDEP participants with those of persons who were employed outside of CDEP, unemployed and not‐in‐the‐labour‐force (NILF) in 2008 and the extent to which these associations changed between 1994 and 2008. This paper also aims to assess the extent to which CDEP participation is consistent with the community development objectives of the scheme. The analysis shows that the nature of the jobs in which CDEP participants work and the experiences it provides to workers have changed little despite substantial changes in underlying policy settings. CDEP participation is associated with the maintenance of language and culture as well as facilitating an ongoing connection to traditional lands. Participation in the scheme is associated with better social and economic outcomes compared to those of the unemployed or those NILF, but much worse outcomes than those for people working in non‐CDEP employment.     

Disseminating research results to kids: practical tips from the Neighbourhoods for Active Kids study

ABSTRACT

Appropriately disseminating results to children are important because it respects the role they played in the research process. Clearly conveying complex messages to children, however, can be challenging and take a substantial amount of time for researchers. This paper reports on the results dissemination processes and accompanying critical reflection, that occurred during Neighbourhoods for Active Kids study – a community-based health research project with 1102 children aged 8–13 years residing in Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand. The results dissemination items included: an individual physical activity and food-purchasing behaviour summary, school physical activity and food-purchasing behaviour summary, colouring-in poster, a video, comic, results booklet, school summary report and school data. The results from critical reflection have been developed into five tips for disseminating results to children. The tips are: consult with children and incorporate their feedback throughout; allow space for change and adaptation; meet children where they are at in the digital world and in the physical world; it’s OK to ask for help; and be careful of the words you use. Findings can be used to inform results dissemination activities across a range of social science disciplines.     

Full Employment: An Outmoded Objective in a Technological Age—Rejoinder

This paper challenges the assumption that technological change is beneficial because it results in efficient resource allocation. The introduction of technology in a period of low economic growth will merely distribute income to a decreasing number of people in jobs. As recent history has shown, this situation is worsened if the employed are not prepared to share their gains with the unemployed.     

乌克兰列宁共青团:乌克兰共产党的青年助手

今天在苏联故土上仍有众多青年信仰马克思主义,并通过前苏地区各国的共产主义青年组织得以体现.与前苏联不同的是,现在前苏地区的共产主义青年组织与共产党的关系呈现多样化的格局,可划分为接受共产党领导、与共产党合作、与共产党对立这样三种类型.在乌克兰最大的共产主义青年组织--乌克兰列宁共产主义青年团就接受乌克兰共产党的领导,成为共产党的青年助手.在乌克兰共产党的领导下,列宁共产主义青年团积极开展各种社会活动,社会影响力不断提升,组织人数稳步增加,已成为前苏地区一支重要的青年马克思主义信仰者团体.     

Psychosocial Assistance for Youth: Toward Reconstruction for Peace in Angola

Following decades of war, Angolan youth are at risk of continuing cycles of violence and need support in developing positive behaviors and social roles. Accordingly, a community-based program, conducted in Angola 1998–2001, taught youth life skills, provided peer support and peace education, educated adults about youth, and engaged youth as workers on community development projects. The main results included increased adult awareness of the situation and needs of youth, improved youth-adult relations, reduced perceptions of youth as troublemakers, reduced fighting between youth, increased community planning, and increased perceptions that youth make a positive contribution to the community. The results suggest that a dual focus on youth and community development contributes to peacebuilding and the disruption of cycles of violence.     

Political socialization in the classroom revisited: The Kids Voting program

Can a civic education program have a short-term impact on political awareness of students and also lead to higher turnout by their parents? This political socialization study evaluates a program, used by 2.3 million students in 1994, that was designed to achieve both goals. Responses to a random survey of 24,976 participants in the Kids Voting program indicate that most students followed the election campaign closely and found the KV program to be enjoyable and useful. Analysis of non-equivalent control groups shows a slight gain in turnout in areas where schools used the program, compared to areas where it was not used. The study also suggests Kids Voting may have several secondary benefits, such as increased student use of the news media and increased discussions of public affairs with family and friends—activities which are linked to long-term political socialization. It remains unclear whether any changes in student attitudes associated with the program are simply short-term in nature.     

National Support Income Scheme For Australia: An Economic and Statistical Study

This study attempts to demonstrate the financial viability and economic soundness of adopting a National Support Income Scheme for Australia. The concept, designed to create an environment in which jobs are available for all, relies on three basic propositions including a reduction in wages and other incomes in exchange for receipt of the support income. The demonstration, based on the latest published statistics, indicates that adopting this scheme for Australia can be financially and economically justified.