Challenging the youth policy imperative: engaging young people through the arts

Abstract

This paper challenges the orientations and assumptions underpinning policies for disadvantaged young people (DYP) in Australia. We argue that policy interventions for young people generally exhibit a binary divide, some policies fostering leadership and creative endeavours targeted on ‘high-functioning’ young people, especially within educational and arts milieus, while other policies, focusing on DYP, take a remedial orientation. The basis for this binary divide is, we argue, flawed social constructions of young people, constructions that pathologise or privilege behaviours, attitudes and lifestyles. The consequences for DYP are that remedial policies, designed to get and keep young people ‘on track’, are often ignoring deeper developmental needs. Using recent research findings from arts programmes for young people, the paper argues for a broader policy orientation, including developmental needs, to strengthen remedial policies and programmes and open the potential for pathways to resilience.

Keywords:

• youth culture
• transition
• exclusion
• policy
• arts

Acknowledgements

The Making Tracks research was funded by the University of South Australia Collaborative Research Grant Scheme. The research team comprised Geraldine Bloustien, Margaret Peters, Harry Savelsberg, Sue Howard, Julia de Roeper, Deirdre Tedmanson and Colin Weetra. The authors would like to thank the industry partners and research participants, and the referees for their helpful comments.