Learning to Fail: How Society Lets Young People Down
Carl Wetton
Friday, January 29, 2010
Fran AbramsRoutledgeISBN 9780415483964167 pages18.99
Learning to Fail is a cutting-edge, insightful and open read, exploring the challenges and hurdles faced by today's young people. It presents detailed accounts of the real hardships suffered within our society and discusses many of the challenges faced by young people up and down the country, such as abuse, poverty, homelessness, lack of stability, drugs and crime.
By giving young people and parents a voice, the straight-talking narrative encourages the reader to embark on a journey of emotion as it delves deep into the lives of eight families and their lifestyles, highlighting the absence of motivation and aspiration within.
Leaving no questions unasked, author Fran Abrams investigates the unimaginable challenges faced by these families on a day-to-day basis and the ways in which changes in society, such as the lack of employment, have failed to protect a generation. One quote reads: "I've seen people get stabbed, people get shot. At first I was like: 'Oh my God, where am I?' Now I just carry on walking. I know something bad's going to happen."
This book also demonstrates the changing values of young people; their focus is no longer on education and employment but on survival, linking to the need for money. Some young people are now willing to go to new extremes to obtain cash, considering which crimes will pay the most amount of money with the shortest sentence if they are caught.
Youth workers will also face new challenges and must adapt their approaches to the needs of these young people. In Greater Manchester, the charity I work for has outreach workers who go out on the streets to offer young people an alternative to crime and encourage them to attend educational projects.
As Abrams rightly points out, the shape of a young person's life can be significantly improved by the presence of such adults mentoring them. I certainly think that this book offers a valuable insight for any professional working with or on behalf of young people.
Buy Learning to Fail: How Society Lets Young People Down