Where is the Love?
An investigation into the ‘professionalising’ of youth work using an
incarnational model.
Peter Hart
1st Year PhD Candidate
School of Applied Social Sciences
Durham University
@youthworkerpete
Peter.Hart@dur.ac.uk
www.dur.ac.uk/peter.hart
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Youth/adult relationships.
∂
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Do adolescents need adults?
Cognitive development
(e.g. Piaget)
Wellbeing
Identity development
(e.g. Marcia)
Faith development (e.g.
Fowler)
∂
Social development
(e.g. attachment theory)
Moral development (e.g.
Kohlberg, Aristotle)
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Youth Work
Core Values of Youth Work:
•Informal Education/Critical dialogue
•Voluntary participation (i.e. not compulsory or contract based)
•Equality of opportunity
∂
•Respect and participation
(See Jeffs and Smith (2010), Sapin (2007), and Roberts (2009))
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Adults and Adolescents.
Divided spaces.
•
•
•
•
Fewer adult ‘role models’?
Increased segregation of adults and young people.
Increased distrust/fear between adults and young people
Increase in boundaries and specific predetermined targets in
occupations working with young people.
∂
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method
Ethics in youth work
Kantian ethics
Morally right actions are
rational in a similar way to
scientific principles.
“Which rule should I follow
to act ethically?”
Utilitarianism
Morally wright actions
provide the greatest amount
of happiness for the
∂ greatest number of people.
“How do I make best use of
limited resources?”
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Beck’s ‘Risk Society’
Object at risk
Young person
Separated by:
Policies and
procedures as
dictated by
∂
management.
Object of risk
Youth worker’s
judgement
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Boundaries
∂
Taken from http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
The Incarnational Method
“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the
neighbourhood.”
∂
(John 1:14, The Message)
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
The Incarnational Method
“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the
neighbourhood.”
∂ influence - “By following the
The incarnation as a strategy of
(John 1:14, Theof
Message)
example
Jesus I aim to build a relationship that will effect
the life of the young person”
The incarnation as a theological reality- “I am searching for
the incarnate Jesus in the relationship with the young
person, and this causes me to share in their joys and
sufferings”
See Root (2007)
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Research Aim
to explore good ethical practice in the developing and maintaining of the
youth work relationship from the perspectives of youth workers and
young people, which takes into account what may be different and
unique about Christian and secular centre-based youth work.
∂
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Research questions
1. What are the purposes of the youth work relationship, as perceived by
organisation management, youth workers, and young people?
2. What is perceived as sound ethical practice when building and
maintaining the youth work relationship?
3. How does organisational policy affect the youth work relationship?
4. How do youth workers reconcile any
∂ differences between personal
values/beliefs and organisation policy, with regard to the youth work
relationship?
5. Are there any commonalities, and common differences, between
Christian-based and secular-based youth workers, with regard to their
perceptions of good practice in the building and maintaining of the
youth work relationship? Can good practice from each sector inform
each other?
Methodology?
∂
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Methodology
∂
Observe
Organisation
Interview chair
of management
committee/CEO/senior
youth worker
Interview
youth workers
Focus group with
young people
x4
Adult relationships – professional boundaries – incarnational method - methodology
Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Condition
Present?
Practice?
Vocation?
Bureaucracy?
Incarnational model?
Good relationship with
young people?
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Selected References
Adams, S. (1998) 'The Process of Change through Relationships Between Adults and Young
People' in Ward, P., ed. Relational Youthwork, Oxford: Lynx communications.
Ahmed, S., Banks, S. and Duce, C. (2007) Walking alongside young people: Challenges and
opportunities for faith communities, Durham: Durham University.
Banks, S. (2004) Ethics, accountability and the social professions, Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Banks, S. (2010) Ethical issues in youth work, 2nd ed. ed., London: Routledge.
Batsleer, J. and Davies, B. (2010) What is youth work?, Exeter: Learning Matters.
Bauman, Z. (1995) Life in fragments : essays in postmodern morality, Oxford: Blackwll.
Bauman, Z. (2000) Community : seeking safety in an insecure world, Polity.
Beck, U. (1992) Risk society : towards a new modernity, Theory, culture & society., London:
Sage.
Brierley, D. (2003) Joined Up, Carlisle: Authentic.
Cieslik, M. and Pollock, G. (2002) Young people in risk society : the restructuring of youth
identities and transitions in late modernity, Aldershot: Ashgate.
Coleman, J. C. P. D. (2010) Nature of adolescence, 4th ed. ed., London: Routledge.
Douglas, M. (1992) Risk and blame : essays in cultural theory, London: Routledge.
Fowler, J. W. (1981) Stages of faith : the psychology of human development and the quest for
meaning, 1st ed. ed., San Francisco: Harper & Row.
Freire, P. (1985) Pedagogy of the oppressed, Reissued. ed., Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Holland, P. (2004) Picturing childhood : the myth of the child in popular imagery, London: I. B.
Tauris.
Jaffe, M. L. (1998) Adolescence, New York ; Chichester: Wiley.
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Jeffs, T. and Smith, M. J. (2005) Informal education : conversation, democracy and learning, 3rd
ed. ed., Nottingham: Educational Heretics Press.
Jeffs, T. and Smith, M. J. (2010) Youth work practice, Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Kohlberg, L. (1969) The relations between moral judgement and moral action : a developmental
view, [S.l.]: [s.n.].
Layard, R. and Dunn, J. (2009) A good childhood : searching for values in a competitive age,
London: Penguin.
Mizen, P. (2004) The changing state of youth, Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nash (2011) Youth Ministry, London: SPCK.
Pidgeon, N. F., Kasperson, R. E. and Slovic, P. (2003) The social amplification of risk,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Postman, N. (1994) The disappearance of childhood, New York: Vintage Books.
Quartz, a. (2003) Branded, London: Arrow.
Ragin, C. C. and Rihoux, B. t. (2009) Configurational comparative methods : qualitative
comparative analysis (QCA) and related techniques, London: SAGE.
Robbins, D. (2004) This Way to Youth Ministry, Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Roberts, J. M. (2009) Youth work ethics, Exeter: Learning Matters.
Sapin, K. (2009) Essential Skills for Youth Work Practice, London: SAGE.
Sercombe, H. (2010) Youth work ethics, London: SAGE.
Ward, P. (1997) Youthwork and the mission of God : frameworks for relational outreach, London:
S.P.C.K.
Yaconelli, M. (2006) Contemplative youth ministry : practising the presence of Jesus with young
people, London: SPCK.
Yaconelli, M. (2007) Growing souls : experiments in contemplative youth ministry, London:
SPCK.
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Peter Hart
1st Year PhD Candidate
School of Applied Social Sciences
Durham University
@youthworkerpete
Peter.Hart@dur.ac.uk
www.dur.ac.uk/peter.hart