More than 20 years ago, a short article was written that sought to connect thinking about youth work to broader sociological theory and prevailing ideas about learning and education. Called Models of YouthWork, it made the very plausible proposition that the ways in which we thought about society would affect the type of youth work we sought to establish and support. This is hardly an argument to elicit shock and awe, but it is worth revisiting and reviewing.
In short, classic functionalist views of society produce a youth work based on youth workers as role models and processes that endeavour to ensure young people fit into the prevailing order of things. More interpretive paradigms of society lead to youth work that is concerned with the personal development of young people. There is a modicum of participation, in order that young people cultivate a sense of responsibility and obligation to their wider community.
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