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Cited by 185Youth, Politics, and SocietyChildren's Rights and ParticipationPolitical Theory and Democracy

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 43 of the 44 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Mixed messages: youth participation and democratic practice

Bessant, Judith·2004·Australian Journal of Political Science
DOI 10.1080/1036114042000238573
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Abstract

The article begins by observing that, over the last decade, the idea of youth participation has once more become a popular part of contemporary political talk both in Australia and in many Western societies. Indeed most Western governments now advocate enhanced youth participation as part of a discourse about modern citizenship, so much so that it has become a policy cliché to say ‘increased youth participation’ will ‘empower’ young people, help build community and remedy a range of social problems. It is also noted that, if the idea of participation itself is an old idea central to the liberal democratic tradition, the current ‘rediscovery’ of youth participation is arguably part of that political orthodoxy. Drawing on selected State, national and Commonwealth government youth documents, the question is asked whether the official enthusiasm for youth participation has much to do with democratic practice. It is argued that the recent government enthusiasm for youth participation is problematic for three reasons. First, it fails to recognise the significant obstacles that young people currently experience when trying to participate socially, economically and politically. Second, there is a failure to think through what democratic practice requires. Third, both the conceptualisation and operationalisation of official youth participation policies reveal an agenda that is seriously at odds with the rhetoric of democratic participation. This raises questions about whose voice is actually being heard and to what effect. A litmus test of any government, however it may describe itself, is its treatment of children. (Yakovlev 2003 Yakovlev A 2003 A Century of Violence in the Soviet Union New Haven, CT: Yale University Press [Google Scholar], 33)

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Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 21

  1. CHOGM [Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting] 2002Report by the Commonwealth High Level Review Group to Commonwealth Heads of GovernmentCommonwealth High Level Review Group. Coolum
  2. Cole M, 1997, Politics Review, 6, 5
  3. Coleman J 1996Foundations of Social TheoryCambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
  4. Coles B 2000Joined‐Up Youth Research, Policy and Practice: A New Agenda for Change?Leicester: Youth Work Press
  5. Cunneen C, 1997, Juvenile Crime and Justice Corrections
  6. Dewiel B 2000Democracy: A History of IdeasSeattle, WA: University of Washington Press
  7. Giddens A 1998The Third Way: The Renewal of Social EnergyCambridge: Polity Press
  8. Hall S, 1986, Politics and Ideology
  9. Jones A, 1999, Just Policy: A Journal of Australian Social Policy, 17, 11
  10. Jones G Wallace C 1992Youth, Family and CitizenshipMilton Keynes: Open University Press
  11. Marshall TH 1950Citizenship and Social ClassCambridge: Cambridge University Press
  12. Matthews H, 1998, Youth and Policy: The Journal of Critical Analysis, 62, 16
  13. McSherry B, 2003, Monash Newsline
  14. Pixley J 1993Citizenship and Employment: Investigating Post‐Industrial OptionsMelbourne: Cambridge University Press
  15. Putman R 1993Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern ItalyPrinceton, NJ: Princeton University Press
  16. Raynor M, 1994, Family Matters, 37, 60
  17. Sidoti C, 1998, Just Policy, 13, 31
  18. Watts R, 2001, Just Policy, 17, 21
  19. White R, 1996, Youth Studies Australia, 15, 28
  20. White R, 2000, Youth Studies Australia, 19, 22
  21. Yakovlev A 2003A Century of Violence in the Soviet UnionNew Haven, CT: Yale University Press

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Metadata

Authors
Bessant, J.
Affiliations
RMIT University (AU)
Corresponding author
Bessant, Judith
ORCID
Bessant, Judith
Venue
Australian Journal of Political Science
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2004-07-01
Volume
39
Issue
2
Pages
387-404
ISSN
  • 0032-3268 (ISSN-L)
  • 1036-1146
  • 1363-030X
DOI
10.1080/1036114042000238573
OpenAlex
W2049608388
Cited by
185
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 6
FWCI
11.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Australian Journal of Political Science (publishedVersion)
  • RMIT Research Repository (RMIT University Library) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion)
Funders
Australian Government
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Youth, Politics, and Society
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Children's Rights and Participation
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Political Theory and Democracy
Keywords
youth participation, democratic practice, youth policy, citizenship, liberal democracy, children's rights, Australia

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