Agency and Participation in Childhood and Youth: International Applications of the Capability Approach in Schools and Beyond

Description

Agency and Participation in Childhood and Youth presents new critical engagement in conceptualising the roles of youth agency and participation in education, development and the pursuit of social justice. Theoretically, the book is framed within the paradigm of the capability approach, initially developed by Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen, and further differentiated by others, including philosopher, Martha Nussbaum. The book unravels the complex relationships between the nature of youth agency and participation, in education, but also in wider political, economic and social arenas, and the potential of young people to expand their freedoms to lead lives they have reason to value. It is thus argued that ethical, sustainable development is contingent on the nature of youth agency and participation in schooling and further afield. Bringing together leading international experts researching children”s capabilities, Agency and Participation in Childhood and Youth offers a unique exploration of links between exciting new areas of development in theory, research and practical applications of Sen and Nussbaum’s ideas. The book addresses a significant gap in the literature drawing on empirical data from the United Kingdom, United States, Jordan, Palestine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Switzerland, New Zealand and beyond, with perspectives presented from both within and outside schools and other formal educational settings. Agency and Participation in Childhood and Youth is of particular interest to academics, teaching professionals, undergraduate and postgraduate students of education studies, social policy, youth and development studies. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Contributors Acknowledgements Introduction Part 1: Agency and Participation in Childhood and Youth 1 The Capability Approach and Educational Research Introduction The landscape of capabilities Perceptions of childhood and youth The role of education in society Education and the capability approach Applying a capability framework to educational research The informational focus Developing children’s capabilities for research Ethics and research Concluding remarks Notes References 2 Education Policy for Agency and Participation Introduction Development visions and education policy: A capability approach perspective Education and capabilities for agency and participation Policy implications for education Conclusions Acknowledgements Notes References 3 The Capability Approach and Children’s Rights Introduction The subject of rights and the social actor Translations of children’s rights into real freedom A systemic theory of action and methodology Assessing child participation Conclusion Notes References 4 Agency, Participation and Youth Inequalities Introduction Equality of what and justice for whom? Agency as an endless pathway of capabilities and functionings Methodology Results: The social conditions of youth Concluding remarks Notes References 5 Child Poverty from a Capability Perspective Introduction Income poverty of children Direct measurement of poverty based on the CA The CA and children Concluding remarks Acknowledgements Notes References Part 2: Developing Agency and Capabilities in Schools and Beyond 6 Pedagogies to Develop Children’s Agency in Schools Introduction: The agency-based paradigm The concept of agency in deliberative democracy: The capability approach perspective Philosophy for children as an opportunity for practical reasoning The capability to think for themselves between dialogue and community The inclusive dimension of philosophical inquiry The value of P4C for the CA P4C method that operationalizes children’s thinking capabilities Concluding remarks Notes References 7 Education and the Capabilities of Children with Special Needs Introduction Education as a basic children’s capability Capability, ability and voice Voice as a means to expand children’s capabilities Enhancing a space for voice: Teachers’ practices in supporting self-advocacy Broadening children’s capabilities: Enhancing voice for all Conclusion Note References 8 Evaluating Children’s Capabilities Enhancement in Schools Introduction The need to develop better ways of appraising CFST The CA and improving ways of developing and appraising poverty alleviation initiatives involving children Methodology Analysis of the focus group interviews Conclusion References 9 Agency, Participation and Transitions Beyond School Introduction Rethinking aspirations Conversion factors The nature of transition Techniques of transition Agency and transition The role of professionals The role of families Discussion Concluding remarks Notes References 10 School Enrolment and Child Labour Introduction Literature review on child labour and schooling Schooling and child labour: The case of Jordan Household determinants of schooling and child labour Conclusions and recommendations Notes References 11 Children’s Autonomy in Conflict-affected Countries Introduction Conceptual and methodological roots of the analysis Social breakdown and emergence of the new sorcery Children as agents and victims Conclusion: Agency and resilience in the Congolese context References 12 Youth Agency and Participation Outside the Classroom Introduction The child as a capable agent Agency and interaction How to observe agency Approaching capabilities in practice: The promotion of agency and social participation in Palestine The impact of the participative workshops on children’s capabilities and agency Conclusions References Concluding Remarks Subject Index Author Index