Youth Development Program Named Positive Futures - Coursework Example

? Positive Futures Case Analysis Introduction The case study under scrutiny in this research paper is a youth development programme named Positive Futures. The scheme was initiated in the year 2000 an organization known as Crime Concern, with financial backing from the Home Office. Positive Futures has more than a hundred projects all over Wales and England; all meant to work with deprived and marginalised youths likely to engage in drug abuse or crimes. The programme attempts to re-engage the youngsters in formal education, training or employment. Positive Futures clearly shows how a perceptible vision can gradually advance through several developmental phases and utilize sports to facilitate social and personal development of vulnerable young people. This research draws attention to the significant role played by cultural activities like sport in enhancing social inclusion. The paper also demonstrates how Positive Futures adopts a relationship strategy as an approach for the project’s staff to build associations with youngsters and enable them overcome their weaknesses to become better people in society. Background Positive Futures was originally established for the principal purpose of influencing positive change among participants. The founders saw the project as a strategy to dissuade youths from engaging in criminal activities, by enabling them to avoid or overcome drug use and offending behaviour, through physical activity. The project further widened its horizons to provide a supportive environment where youths can resume education and gain access to various employment opportunities. Critical Case Study Questions Despite the significant strides made by Positive Futures in ensuring that young people in the United Kingdom do not engage in crime, skeptics believe that the programme is not sufficiently inclusive. This skepticism is attributable to the perception that Positive Futures exclusively engages youths through sporting activities. As a result, many cannot help but wonder whether the programme caters for youngsters without sports skills. There is also prevalent concern regarding the extent of the rehabilitation programme’s continuity. Other principal questions regarding the programme are as outlined hereunder: Since the programme continually attracts new partisans, do the older participants remain engaged and for how long do personnel monitor their progress? Does the programme consider gender equity in its diverse projects by engaging a significant number of young men or does it operate on the notion that young males are more likely to engage in crime? Is the non-sports activities programme sufficiently extensive to cater for youths without sporting abilities? What are the measures of success utilized by Positive Futures to evaluate the young individuals’ progression and improvement? Do projects involving fewer partisans depict higher success rates than those involving a large number of youngsters? Discussion Based on research findings by Sharland (2006, p.248), members of the public, policy makers, and professionals in the field of sociology are increasingly worried about identification and proper management of youths. The author emphasizes that troubled youngsters or those predisposed to societal risks are of particular interest, yet social services have been rather silent about this critical subject. Sharland (2006, pp. 250-252.) takes note of the fact that in practice of social work, youths’ problems are relegated to other unidentified parties leaving them lost and marginalised. The scholar explores theoretical and empirical aspects of risk taking behavior among young people and notes that psychological and social issues are implicated. Consequently, Sharland’s (2006, 253-256.) discussion emphasizes the essence of critically insightful youth social services. Taking this into consideration, one can draw a comparison to Positive Future’s operation strategy. Staff members at the project comprehend the complex interaction of youngsters’ background, identity, structure and culture, which enables them to establish a supportive environment free of judgement and in which they can avoid risky behavior. Another sociology scholar, Nolas (2011, pp. 139-140), introduces the crucial need for participation as a platform for change. The author proposes participation within diverse human service sectors including social services. Nolas argues that although participation in certain activities is associated with numerous benefits, most research on the aspect has been on mechanisms of participation like gender and empowerment among others. Being an engagement approach, the author is emphatic that participation is founded on action and must therefore be combined with high interaction levels between partisans. The author further explicitly states that young people’s participation demands imagination and not just expecting them to share stories (Nolas, 2011, p. 145). This is clearly a social inclusion that Positive Futures recognizes. This is because; the project’s staff takes time to understand the participants. Staff members are also patient and they persevere even when partisans’ behavior does not improve instantly. Other than just relying on stories or reports conveyed by project participants or people close to them, personnel take their time to follow up each young person’s case. This involves interacting with relatives, friends, school authorities and even prospective employers that are willing to embrace the recovering youths. This dedication translates to the actual running of diverse projects under the programme. Every project in the programme is considered equally important, irrespective of the number of partisans. Individuals who successfully change their lives in a positive manner are free to continue engaging with others in the programme and receive the support they need. This affirms sustainability of Positive Futures and its constituent projects. After placing emphasis on the essence of interaction in addition to participation, while attempting to foster social inclusion, Nolas (2013, pp.2-10) further reinforces the importance of youth engagement in groups. Creation of environments that facilitate active engagement in given activities and sharing among participants is a key improvement strategy. Such measures make it possible for social workers to understand what young people go through. As a result, it becomes possible to identify the root cause of their problems and the best possible solutions. Positive Futures takes the engagement aspect into account, as shown by the project’s acceptance of its participants’ inequalities and messiness. The project provides a space where young people do not have to feel judged or discriminated against for their weaknesses. There is also no discrimination on the basis of inherent attributes including gender. This means that the programme also encourages participation of young females. Further, Positive Futures provides an opportunity for troubled youngsters to interact with other like minded youths and enables them to discuss how they can transform their lives for the better. As stipulated by Kelly (2011, pp. 127-131) there is worldwide enthusiasm that engaging in sports can bolster social inclusion measures. This proposition is clearly in line with notions put forth by preceding authors who insist on participation, engagement and psychosocial approaches for inclusion. Sport is clearly a fundamental measure for Positive Futures’ social inclusion strategy. Kelly (2011, pp. 132-134) acknowledges that sports foster social inclusion, by facilitating cohesion of youths from diverse backgrounds, enabling the troubled young people to voice their concerns and by paving a rehabilitative path for resuming school or work. However, the author indicates that sports-based interventions could highlight partisans’ deficits and inequalities, negating the process of social inclusion. Even though this is a valid argument, Positive Futures counters such occurrences by ensuring that each participant settles for an activity in which he or she feels most comfortable. Haw (2012, pp. 451-452) is yet another scholar focusing on social inclusion of the youth and potential strategies to deter them from crime. The author draws on studies conducted among U.K youths living within neighbourhoods like Urbanfields, where crime is prevalent. The research shows that cultural perceptions substantially influence the young people’s negotiation of risks and risk factors within their environments. Haw’s (pp. 453-463) article further provides insight into the crucial role played by locality and social associations in determining the course of life taken by the youngsters, whether a positive or negative one. This research, therefore, shows the importance of ensuring that youths live in a relatively secure locality or neighbourhood. Even though this may not always be possible, youth development projects like Positive Futures partially avail such an opportunity. Positive Futures illustrates the fundamental notion that effective community learning embraces a challenging yet positive relationship for the people involved. The programme illustrates extensive faith in the possibility of rehabilitating troubled youths and enabling them to adopt more productive and fulfilling lifestyles. The programme also encourages risk taking, showing participants that they are capable of achieving anything they desire as long as they put their minds to it. This is clearly a belief in human possibility that many social community projects have failed to adopt, instead opting to leave the troubled or underprivileged to their own devices. Other than risk taking, Positive Futures encourages engagement of participants thus guaranteeing open communication channels. This seeks to ensure that none of the youths holds back and end up feeling secluded to the extent of reverting to crime. The programme measures success of its projects primarily based on partisans’ improvement in academic performance, better social associations and enhanced engagement in project activities. Conclusion Based on the analysis of information provided by various scholars on social inclusion, it is rather evident that successful youth development projects or programmes must have clearly defined and attainable goals and objectives. As stated by one scholar, sport alone does not have sufficient traction to transform youths and deter them from criminal activities. This can be best realised by adopting a personal, as well as, social development approach. This is clearly illustrated by the Positive Futures project, which embraces a wide array of both sport and non-sport activities. All the same, Positive Futures must strive to be more proactive in identification of troubled youths instead of just relying on friends and relatives to recommend potential participants. Efficacy would also be higher if the project embraced more social inclusion strategies such as regular evaluation and monitoring, to avoid relapse of partisans into old habits. Bibliography Haw, K. 2010. Risk and Resilience: The Ordinary and Extraordinary Everyday Lives of Young People in a High Crime, Youth & Society, 41, pp. 451-474. Kelly, L. 2011. ‘Social Inclusion’ through Sports-based Interventions, Critical Social Policy, 31, pp. 126-150. Nolas, S-M. 2011. Stories as Indicators of Practical Knowledge: Analysing Project Workers’ talk from a Study of Participation in a Youth Inclusion Programme, Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 21, pp. 138-150. Nolas, S-M. 2013. Exploring Young People's and Youth Workers' Experiences of Spaces for ‘Youth Development’: Creating Cultures of Participation, Journal of Youth Studies, pp.1-17. Sharland, E. 2006. Young People, Risk Taking and Risk Making: Some Thoughts for Social Work, British Journal of Social Work, 26, pp. 247-265. . Read More