Katie Richards-Schuster

Youth Participation in Community Evaluation Research

Should young people participate in community evaluation research and, if so, what roles should they play? We believe that youth participation is desirable, but that it remains relatively undeveloped as a field of practice or subject of study. For this reason, this paper provides perspective on the increasing involvement by young people, identifies the participation patterns and evaluation roles of young people, and draws conclusions from empirically-based practice. It draws on the available literature, including our own participatory evaluation of a project intended to increase youth participation in organizational development and community change.

Raising Ethnic-Racial Consciousness: The Relationship Between Intergroup Dialogues and Adolescents’ Ethnic-Racial Identity and Racism Awareness

Empirical evidence shows that intergroup dialogue programs promote changes in ethnic-racial identity and racism awareness among college students. Expanding on this research, this study examines the effects of intergroup dialogues on adolescents’ racial consciousness. Self-reports of 147 adolescents (13–19 years old), of various racial and ethnic backgrounds were used. Repeated-measures ANOVAs, on pre- and post-tests examined changes in racial consciousness (ethnic-racial identity and racism awareness), controlling for parent education. Group differences (ethnic-racial groups, nativity) also were examined. As predicted, ethnic-racial identity and racism awareness increased after completing the program. Although there were statistically significant ethnic-racial group differences in ethnic-racial identity, no group differences in racism awareness were found. The findings demonstrate that intergroup dialogues can promote adolescents’ ethnic-racial consciousness.

Building Solidarity Through Difference: A Practice Model for Critical Multicultural Organizing

ABSTRACT Building solidarity is perhaps the most crucial, yet under-theorized, process in organizing for social change. Traditional models of union and neighborhood-based organizing associate solidarity with commonality, as opposed to difference. However, this traditional organizing model is being forced to adapt to an increasingly multicultural context, presenting a need for rethinking past practices and creating new frameworks for multicultural organizing. Theoretical work on the topic has been relatively detached from action on the ground, with few efforts to translate it into community organizing practice. This article develops a practice model for critical multicultural organizing drawing on a five-year qualitative, participatory evaluation of youth participation in grassroots community organizations. As well as offering insight into the efforts of young people to organize around neighborhood issues in largely low-income and racially diverse communities of color, the cases highlight inclusive practices that will help any organization become more sustainable and effective.

Tagging Walls and Planting Seeds: Creating Spaces for Youth Civic Action

Youth civic spaces are environments in which youth participation in civic action is fostered—the pathways, structures, and vehicles that provide opportunities for young people to engage in critical discussion, dialogue, and action. The concept of youth civic space includes the formal and informal places in which youth civic engagement can occur and how the lived experience of those places contributes to young peoples development as civic actors. It extends discussions regarding the physical locations of youth civic engagement to include the activities, perceptions, and interactions within them. Drawing on archival materials from 2 multiyear projects, this article explores the role of community-based organizations in mediating youth civic action and understanding the characteristics and qualities of the organizations that facilitate youth engagement in community action and social change. We use this analysis of empirical examples to develop a conceptual framework for strengthening practice.

Learning to Speak Out About Racism: Youths' Insights on Participation in an Intergroup Dialogues Program

This case study of an intergroup dialogue program explores youth engagement and learning about race in a group setting and includes a youth-led participatory program evaluation. The case study offers insights on the learning experience and context of youth engagement in community-based intergroup dialogues. Themes include (1) discussing race, (2) learning skills to communicate across different races, (3) grappling with privilege and oppression, and (4) developing leadership. Implications for social work practice with groups for community changes are discussed.

Integrating social work into undergraduate education through a community action and social change multidisciplinary minor

Social work education has a long and successful history of developing change agents through bachelor of social work, master’s of social work, and PhD programs, but these programs often create boundaries limiting the reach and infusion of social work perspectives. With rapid changes in social, economic, and political contexts, students from all academic concentrations need to understand how community action and social change improves society. Using systems and community practice frameworks, this article provides an in-depth case study of one university’s model of an undergraduate multidisciplinary minor bridging social work philosophy with other academic disciplines. We explore the model and its development, with specific discussion of the lessons learned in creating and sustaining a multidisciplinary minor, its effect on students, and its implications for social work.

Dialogic Pedagogy for Youth Participatory Action Research: Facilitation of an Intergroup Empowerment Program

ABSTRACT This article describes the pedagogical and facilitation approach of a yearlong youth empowerment program that engaged a group of adolescents who were racially and socioeconomically diverse in participatory action research. Nine adolescents from inner-city neighborhoods and suburban communities across the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, region completed a Photovoice project. As part of the project, the youth documented racial segregation to inform community-based advocacy efforts. Pedagogical principles from intergroup dialogues were used to help facilitate participants’ understanding of differences across race and socioeconomic status. The article outlines the four-stage curricular design used to organize group activities. Those stages are (1) group formation, (2) exploration of differences and commonalities, (3) discussion of controversial issues, and (4) action planning. This article illustrates how facilitation of a diverse group in participatory action research may require a dialogic approach that addresses cross-cultural differences and builds positive intergroup collaboration skills.

Community Organization in the Twenty-First Century: Scholarship and Practice Directions for the Future

The context for community practice in social work is continually changing. As we entered the 21st century, we would not have envisioned the challenges and opportunities that exist today in our nation and the world. In 2000, most would not have predicted the degree to which global and domestic terrorism, economic adjustments, natural disasters, migration and immigration, new and emerging technologies, globalization, and other phenomena would impact the structure and substance of our lives. These conditions have affected everyone, but they have taken a significant toll on the lives of those who are most vulnerable. These challenges are not unique to the United States and are mirrored around the globe. What is the role of community practice in social work in this environment? Immigration and fertility patterns over the past 30 years have led to an increasingly multiracial, multicultural, and multiethnic society. At the same time, conditions of economic inequality and economic stratification by gender and race have not abated. These trends in the substance and structure of our society challenge our field to evaluate how it can best address these demographic shifts. One critical question is how we can develop knowledge, practice, policies and research that will contribute to social justice in an increasingly multicultural world. These questions were the focus of the Symposium on Interdisciplinary Scholarship for Community Organization in the 21st Century, held in June 2012 at the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work. The symposium was organized by the Community Organizing Learning Community at the

The Power of Prevention and Youth Voice: A Strategy for Social Work to Ensure Youths’ Healthy Development

The opening plenary session at the 2017 Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, which focused on ensuring healthy youth development, highlighted the need to include young people as partners in research and evaluation. In doing so, the conference participants joined the voices of a growing group of social work scholars committed to youth participation and engagement, who have also highlighted the importance of youth voice in the development of prevention strategies and programming that are aligned with the lived experience of young people. Presenting four unique social work efforts designed to harness the power of youth voice, this article shines a spotlight on the role of social work research and practice in harnessing the power of youth participation in efforts of promote healthy youth development. This article concludes by illustrating the benefits of youth engagement for young people, communities, and researchers.

Exploring Challenges Faced by Students as they Transition to Social Justice Work in the “Real World”: Implications for Social Work

For students who are actively engaged in social justice efforts on their college/university campuses, the transition from a relatively easy platform for engagement to the “real world” can pose significant challenges and create new realities for negotiation. Little is known, however, about the nature of these transitions into post-graduate social justice experiences. Drawing on an open-ended survey of recent graduates (92 respondents, 50% response rate) from a social justice minor in a school of social work, we explore the ways in which respondents described their transitions into social justice work, focusing on a set of key challenges that emerged from our analysis and reflecting on the implications of these challenges for social work practice and future research. Understanding some of the challenges in making this transition will help social work and non-profit administrators to better support this population’s future volunteer, service, and employment needs.