FORGING ETHICAL ADULT-YOUTH RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN EMANCIPATORY ACTIVISM

Abstract

The authors engage in a duoethnographic dialogue about their past work as activists in a high school setting, where Rachel was a high school student  and Darren a teacher-advisor. Their discussion focuses on their recollections of the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) within a conservative community setting, the first of its kind in the Province of Alberta. Reflecting critically on their own roles, they explore the dimensions of effective adult-youth collaborations, including notions of power and privilege, and the role of adults in protecting students from hostile community backlash. Using specific illustrations, the authors outline some of the optimal qualities of adult-youth projects in a way that can enable and empower young people, while avoiding unduly burdening them with the responsibility to solve all social inequity.