Trying hard to think about this concept of problematising the issue that I want to research or rather, I know what the problem is (I think) but how to pull it apart and make sure that I cover the relevant bits.
It all feels very bitty, very seperate. I feel more confident writing about the individual bits and of course, some are much more within my area of expertise. Other areas will need a fair bit of research, and I'm already feeling daunted by the amount of links, PDF's and leads that I am accumulating. Not sure how to go about starting to review it. Let's see how I get on!
Sunday 28 November 2010
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Conscious incompetence
Feeling very much 'conscious incompetent' about writing this abstract. Why - it's only a hundred or so words! Reasonably happy with what I've written so far and have been honing it to really reflect what I want to say. However, what will my supervisor say? Will I have done it all wrong or will it be OK? The only measure that I've got currently is what I might be saying to any dissertation student, I guess, but it's very difficult to judge your own work!
Sunday 14 November 2010
Abstract
How to put all the thoughts in my head into about 150 words? Every time I go back to what I've written, I seem to need to change it again in relation to emphasis. Starting also to wonder how to capture everything that I read that seems relevant? It's all very well cutting and pasting quotes and refs onto word docs for use later, but at this rate, I'm going to end up with 3 volumes before I even start writing assignment 1! I'm also conscious of putting my own interpretation, my own spin on stuff, and yet other people seem to write it so much better than me!
Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts..
Should youth workers be operating in a world that they don't really understand? How do they engage with young people who are freely wandering through the digital environment en they don't understand the significance of this digital age on the lives of young people?
Youth workers very often engage with young people who are vulnerable, socially disadvantaged, challenging etc. Youth work core values talk of empowerment, equality, participation; how do we work with young people who don't have access to this sophisticated digital environment and for whom the inclusion/exclusion divide is becoming increasingly wider due to the importance of networks?
In the New Scientist (July 10th 2010), Richard Fisher talks about Mark Granovetter's theory in relation to 'weak ties' or 'loose acquaintances' in relation to social networking sites such as Facebook. The idea that we can hook up and remain in contact with childhood friends who would otherwise never have been revisited through such sites is a recent phenomenon, probably kick-started by Friends Reunited in the 90's.
Granovetter's work showed the potential for people to network, gain information, gain advantage and get jobs through their 'weak ties' thus implying that the more sophisticated and wide-reaching your network, the more chances you might have to be successful.
So where does this leave young people who are becoming increasingly disadvantaged due to geography, demography and limited access to digital networks? Where does this leave the role of the youth worker?
Youth workers very often engage with young people who are vulnerable, socially disadvantaged, challenging etc. Youth work core values talk of empowerment, equality, participation; how do we work with young people who don't have access to this sophisticated digital environment and for whom the inclusion/exclusion divide is becoming increasingly wider due to the importance of networks?
In the New Scientist (July 10th 2010), Richard Fisher talks about Mark Granovetter's theory in relation to 'weak ties' or 'loose acquaintances' in relation to social networking sites such as Facebook. The idea that we can hook up and remain in contact with childhood friends who would otherwise never have been revisited through such sites is a recent phenomenon, probably kick-started by Friends Reunited in the 90's.
Granovetter's work showed the potential for people to network, gain information, gain advantage and get jobs through their 'weak ties' thus implying that the more sophisticated and wide-reaching your network, the more chances you might have to be successful.
So where does this leave young people who are becoming increasingly disadvantaged due to geography, demography and limited access to digital networks? Where does this leave the role of the youth worker?
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Here's a starter for 10....
From 'The Big Society' web page
"The Network is, above all, practical. It’s an enormous tool-box of advice, case histories, links to people and resources, using the power of the Internet, Mobiles and face-to-face action."
Is this an illustration of how the division between the have's and the have not's, politically-minded citizens and disenfranchised citizens, is going to become increasingly wider ?
Access to the digital world coupled with issues of literacy and digital literacy, could mean that the increasing reliance by society and government on individuals engaging online, will result people that are even further disempowered in relation to making their voices heard. Everywhere is the assumption that people are going online, are surfing the net, are confident in what they are doing and do have access to appropriate hardware, and if they don't, that they will seek help and support or walk into a library.
How do young people fit into this? Will the digital skills that they have mean that they will engage virtually as well as face-to-face? What about those young people who don't have the hardware or who are blocked from true participation by school firewalls and network security tools?
I see few true examples of excellent youth work practice in relation to participation. I see youth workers who are ignoring the potential power of digital literacy and digital networks in relation to participation and empowerment. How can youth workers support young people in the current environment, with its talk of national citizenship, if they are not engaging with these agenda themselves? It's not enough to claim that young people know it and that it's therefore not necessary to be skilled up. It's not just about skills. It's about inclusion, exclusion, participation, political awareness, access and social capital.
Is this an illustration of how the division between the have's and the have not's, politically-minded citizens and disenfranchised citizens, is going to become increasingly wider ?
Access to the digital world coupled with issues of literacy and digital literacy, could mean that the increasing reliance by society and government on individuals engaging online, will result people that are even further disempowered in relation to making their voices heard. Everywhere is the assumption that people are going online, are surfing the net, are confident in what they are doing and do have access to appropriate hardware, and if they don't, that they will seek help and support or walk into a library.
How do young people fit into this? Will the digital skills that they have mean that they will engage virtually as well as face-to-face? What about those young people who don't have the hardware or who are blocked from true participation by school firewalls and network security tools?
I see few true examples of excellent youth work practice in relation to participation. I see youth workers who are ignoring the potential power of digital literacy and digital networks in relation to participation and empowerment. How can youth workers support young people in the current environment, with its talk of national citizenship, if they are not engaging with these agenda themselves? It's not enough to claim that young people know it and that it's therefore not necessary to be skilled up. It's not just about skills. It's about inclusion, exclusion, participation, political awareness, access and social capital.
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