Social pedagogy, informal education and ethical youth work practice

ABSTRACT

This paper questions current approaches to youth work practice and evaluation in England and suggests that current practices based on tick-box targets and outcomes compromise the core values of the profession. The targeting of certain groups of young people is an over-simplistic and stigmatising process that does not reflect what is meaningful about youth work. It also marks a step away from informal education, which has traditionally provided the theoretical underpinning to youth work in England. Youth work in England needs to develop a stronger evidence base as a process based on informal education to be given consideration by policy-makers and funders. In the second half of the paper, we introduce social pedagogy—a form of theory and practice developed in wider Europe—and outline its values and approach. We argue that this approach may fit with the values of informal education and that it may contribute to offering an evidence base for a values-centred alternative to the currently dominant articulations of youth work. We hope this paper stimulates further consideration of this approach among youth workers and their educators.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth work
• social pedagogy
• informal education
• targets
• outcomes
• ethical practice
• values

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr Karolina Slovenko is a Social Worker in the London Borough of Hackney. Her doctoral research focused on social pedagogy and she has professional experience in social pedagogy, youth work and social work.

Dr Naomi Thompson is a Research Fellow in the Department of Mental Health, Social Work and Integrative Medicine at Middlesex University. Her research specialisms include young people, youth work, religion and crime.