Anna Planas

Student participation in university governance: the opinions of professors and students

This article focuses on analysing student participation in university governance, with the specific aims of identifying the main obstacles to student participation and offering proposals of how to better facilitate student involvement in the functioning of the university. From student questionnaires, teaching staff interviews and student discussion groups we obtained information regarding the major obstacles to student participation. The methodology employed in this research allows us to compare and contrast the opinions and perceptions of students and teaching staff. Significant differences are identified that highlight the main ways for facilitating change in student participation in the university. The required changes should not only relate to improving the means by which students are informed about ways of participating, but also influence how universities structure participatory processes, the role of the teaching staff and, specifically, the role of coordinators of those managing bodies closest to the students.

Young people and youth policies in Spain in times of austerity: between juggling and the trapeze

The aim of this article is to present and discuss the situation regarding young people and youth policy in Spain via the parameters of the magic triangle linking policy, research and action: (1) the situation of young people in Spain today – some indicators are highlighted regarding the main challenges and opportunities for young people, with references to the so-called ‘Ni-Nis’ (neither studying nor working) and the movement of the ‘outraged’ youth that occupied the streets of Spains major cities in May 2011; (2) the current approaches adopted by public youth policies in Spain and limitations and difficulties encountered by the government in attempting to meet the demands of young people; (3) social work with young people and professionals involved in youth policies. In the last section, we conclude with some open questions and proposals for the immediate future.

Evaluación participativa del empoderamiento juvenil con grupos de jóvenes. Análisis de casos

espanolLas interpretaciones que realizan los jovenes sobre sus propias realidades son clave para comprender sus acciones y comportamientos. Tambien para adaptar los proyectos y programas socioeducativos a las nuevas dinamicas sociales. Este articulo se centra en el analisis de dichas interpretaciones. ?Que entienden los jovenes por empoderamiento juvenil? ?Que indicadores especificos consideran que permiten identificarlo? ?En que espacios, momentos y procesos piensan que se produce? Para dar respuesta a estos interrogantes se realizaron 4 procesos de Evaluacion Participativa con 42 jovenes, de entre 14 y 25 anos, en 4 ciudades espanolas. La muestra de jovenes que configura los grupos de evaluacion participativa en cada uno de los casos es intencional. El articulo contextualiza los casos, presenta la metodologia seguida en el desarrollo de la evaluacion participativa y aporta los resultados principales de cada caso. Los resultados muestran que los jovenes de los casos analizados relacionan el empoderamiento con algun tipo de enriquecimiento o mejora de tipo personal o grupal normalmente asociado a un proceso personal, aunque se reconoce la influencia social. Los indicadores considerados mas relevantes para el empoderamiento juvenil son la autonomia y la autoestima. Los jovenes relacionan el empoderamiento juvenil con espacios vinculados al ambito familiar, escolar y con las amistades. Segun las caracteristicas de los grupos aparecen tambien como significativos; el espacio extracurricular, la calle y el mundo asociativo. Los procesos de empoderamiento juvenil tienen que ver con vivencias de superacion que hicieron que los jovenes tuvieran percepcion de exito, de superacion, de ser importantes para alguien o, por ultimo, de sentir bienestar. La evaluacion participativa ha resultado ser una estrategia de intervencion socioeducativa muy adecuada para ayudar a las personas jovenes participantes a construir perspectivas diferentes sobre sus propias vidas. EnglishInterpretations made by young people about their own realities are key to understand their actions and behaviours. Also for adapting to new social dynamics socio-educational programmes and projects. This article focuses on the analysis of those interpretations. What do youth understand by youth empowerment? Which specific indicators do they consider to identify it? In which spaces, moments and processes do they think that it could happen? In order to respond to these questions, 4 evaluation participatory processes with 42 young people from 14 to 25 years old in 4 Spanish cities were developed. The sample that sets the participatory evaluation groups for every case is intentional. This paper contextualizes cases, presenting the followed methodology in the participatory evaluation’s development and provides the main findings of each case. The results show that youth from the analyzed cases consider the empowerment to be related with a personal or group enrichment or improvement that is normally associated with a personal process, although its social influence is recognized. The most relevant indicators for youth empowerment are autonomy and self-esteem. Young people relate youth empowerment to spaces linked to family, school and friends. The extracurricular space, the street and the associative world appear to be significant to some of them. Youth empowerment processes have to do with overcoming experiences that made young people to have a perception of success, to overcome, being important to someone or eventually, to feel well being. Participatory evaluation has proved to be a very adequate socio-educational intervention strategy to help participants building different perspectives on their own lives. portuguesAs interpretacoes que os jovens realizam sobre as suas proprias realidades sao fundamentais para compreender as suas acoes e comportamentos. Tambem para adaptar os projetos e programas socioeducativos as novas dinâmicas sociais. Este artigo centra-se na analise dessas interpretacoes. O que entendem os jovens por capacitacao juvenil? Que indicadores especificos consideram que permitem identifica-lo? Em que espacos, momentos e processos pensam que se produz? Para dar resposta a estas questoes, realizaram-se quatro processos de avaliacao participativa com 42 jovens, entre os 14 e os 25 anos, em quatro cidades espanholas. A amostra de jovens que configura os grupos de avaliacao participativa em cada um dos casos e intencional. O artigo contextualiza os casos, apresenta a metodologia seguida no desenvolvimento da avaliacao participativa e indica os resultados principais de cada caso. Os resultados demonstram que os jovens dos casos analisados relacionam a capacitacao com algum tipo de enriquecimento ou melhoria de tipo pessoal ou de grupo normalmente associado a um processo pessoal, apesar de se reconhecer a influencia social. Os indicadores considerados mais relevantes para a capacitacao juvenil sao a autonomia e a autoestima. Os jovens relacionam a capacitacao juvenil com espacos vinculados ao âmbito familiar e escolar e com as amizades. De acordo com as caracteristicas dos grupos, aparecem tambem como significativos o espaco extracurricular, a rua e o mundo associativo. Os processos de capacitacao juvenil tem a ver com vivencias de superacao que fizeram com que os jovens tivessem percecao do sucesso, de superacao, de serem importantes para alguem e, por ultimo, de sentirem bem-estar. A avaliacao participativa revelou-se uma estrategia de intervencao socioeducativa muito adequada para ajudar as pessoas jovens participantes a criar perspetivas diferentes sobre as suas proprias vidas.

Le politiche giovanili in Spagna: dall'oasi al miraggio

In the difficult transition from youth to adult life, youth policies have traditionally been seen as a heaven, a place in the desert where to rest, rehydrate and prepare for your onward journey. But in times of crisis, the oasis can become a mirage, a sort of intransitive non-place, where the supply of water is evaporated as the effect of austerity policies leading to dehydration of stakeholders - both young people and those who work with them and investigate them. From this metaphor, the goal of this work is to present and discuss the situation of youth policies in Spain, in the climate of austerity and drastic welfare cuts. We carry out this analysis using the parameters of the magic triangle that connects youth policies, youth research and youth work.