Beyond problematisation—young people, citizenship and a new approach to service delivery

Abstract

This article considers the citizenship claims of young people and the consequences of these claims for the delivery of services to young people. In doing so, an analysis is offered as to how various problematising discourses of youth have shaped matters of policy formulation and service delivery. Although recent responses to service development have argued for the introduction of participative and empowering forms of practice, it largely remains the case that representations of the period of youth, which depict young people as ‘troubled’ and ‘troublesome’, predominate; these representations underpin ideologically driven commitments to control and regulate youthful behaviour. In turn, problematising discourses have produced problematising service responses. Change will only occur when such discourses are strategically challenged, resisted and responded to. In order to achieve this a different socio-political style and approach to developing policy and practice is required that actively promotes the citizenship rights of young people. © 2000, Taylor and Francis Inc. All rights reserved.