The origin, and earlier developments of youth work in Ireland, closely follows the British developmental pattern. Ireland was part of the United Kingdom when the first youth organizations were established during the latter part of the 19th century. In the beginning, youth groups mainly catered for boys, and were completely voluntary. The introduction of groups for girls followed closely. At this time the protestant church was responsible for many organizations including the boy and girl brigades. (P.Burgess pg 49). The reason such groups began to form was that much like England, the industrial revolution had brought with it some major social issues amongst the Irish working class, particularly in large cities such as Dublin, ‘The industrial revolution had passed the city by, leaving only the remnants of its craft industries, mostly ruined by competition from industrializing Belfast. Unemployment was chronic and severe.’ (Meller H.E Pg129 2005). Following these groups, nationalism within the new Free State bore ground for new voluntary youth groups.
The following developments were unique to Ireland. Catholicism controlled social and political organization in the country, and the Catholic Church became the centre for most youth work after 1930’s. These included girl guides and boy scouts. The influence of the Catholic Church prevented state involvement within youth work. Throughout this time, youth work focused on providing a social gathering outlet for young people, with little structured link to education and no state funding. While this recreational approach was positive, there was room for advancement in the thinking surrounding youth work.
The first change in attitude was documented through the O’Sullivan report. The following description, extracted from the report, summarises its intentions. ‘Youth work provides opportunities and support to young people for association, the development of personal autonomy, and the essential values and competencies to participate effectively in a changing society.’ (O’Sullivan 1980 pg12). This offers higher regard to the role of youth work in the young person’s development compared to previous conceptions. It highlights that it does not just fulfill the purpose of entertaining young people, instead is an alternative and vocational addition to their education, particularly in life skills, which main stream schooling does not necessarily offer, but is certainly essential for society.
Following this, the Costello report was produced later in the eighties. This shared the objective of the O’Sullivan report, but provided further progress in changing the ideas of how youth work can be used to develop such skills. It proposed more attention should be given to empowering young people themselves. This change was significant as it began to alter the role of the youth worker. As an adult they should not adopt the existing dictatory positions held by others such as social workers and teachers. Instead it encouraged a mentoring approach, where one should offer tools and guidelines to young people but leaving them with the end responsibility of making decisions etc. (Costello 1984).
After an attempted release of an Act in 1997, which fell through due to it coincidence with the change in government, 2001 brought stability. The first fully operable act of legislation in Ireland for Youth work as its own entity was the Youth Work Act 2001. This too was a crucial turning point as it meant allocation of much needed funding and lead to the National Youth Work Development Plan in 2003. This provided structure to the progress of youth work and guidelines to the use of funding to aid voluntary organizations. (P.Burgess).
Much of the policy established in Ireland was influenced by theoretical models developed by Louise Hurley. The two main models of youth work are The Personal Development Model and The Critical Social Education Model. The first model encourages a youth work programme, where by the mentor helps to offer empowerment to the young person, allowing them to make guided but individual decisions about life. The adult should form a relationship of mutual respect to give the young person a sense of involvement and responsibility. By using this approach the young person develops positive social skills. The programme will show young people how to function democratically in a group situation and efficiently in a solo scenario. The model is also the basis for offering vocational training in practical skills necessary to boost confidence and offer a stepping stone for adulthood. (Hurley L, Treacy D 1993).
The Critical Social Education Model is the second model used in Irish Youth work programmes today. The contents of this model are very similar to the first model. They include recreational programmes, education for life and vocational training (http://www.thebase.ie/whatwedo/yth_workmodel.htm). The difference in this model is its purpose focuses on the young person’s position in the bigger picture. The youth worker forms a cooperative partnership with the young person to help them find their position in society. As their skills progress, they can reach a place where they have the ability to analyze political/social issues and gain the confidence to realize it is within their power to change them. These changes may concern their own identity or something which they feel strongly affiliated to. This model is crucial in developing a generation of youths who will confidently continue society’s development in a constructive way. It also is essential to bring out skills amongst young individuals, which are exceptional but often suppressed by disadvantaged backgrounds.
(Hurley L, Treacy D 1993)
One element of the youth work concept which has remained the same across the past century is its voluntary nature. Though it has been legislated, nearly all youth organizations are based on volunteerism today, just as they were one hundred years ago. This is positive in the sense the essence of youth work should be just that. It is not a forced concept, rather both the worker and young person have decided to be there. This maintains the interest of the young person, as well as attracting workers who have a high energy level. However, the issue with such a scenario is sourcing funding. The main providers in Ireland include lottery, grants, charity fundraising and some government department donations. The problem lies in planning, as the period of time the sources are available is not definitive. As a result, many projects are either abandoned or not pursued due to lack of feasibility.
(Jenkinson H 2000)
However the importance of youth work in terms of an alternative education has met recognition in today’s society. Projects such as Youth Reach, Garda Youth Diversions and Working Age Programmes, have been established and are beginning to receive official support. Schemes like Youth Reach are aimed at offering education to those excluded from main stream schooling. The use of vocational teaching methods are often more effective on the target group. A statement from the NDP, supports the idea that recognition has been attained. ‘Future developments in Youthreach Programmes will be informed by the evaluation being carried out by the Inspectorate of the Dept. of Education and Science.’ (National Development Plan 2007-2013)
After analyzing the historical movement of youth work, as well as reviewing theoretical studies carried out by social scientists regarding this topic, I can conclude that in general my opinion is in agreement with the opening statement. It would be difficult to argue such an idea, as there is documented evidence of such progression. The origins began with the recreational youth organizations at the end of the industrial revolution, through to the Catholic Church organizations of the 20th century. Finally in the present 21st century, Youth work has become a legislated concept. It is still functioning independently of main stream bodies relating to young people and their well being, however gaining the necessary state support to ensure security and protection. There may still be a long way to go in terms of attitudes towards this area, and a higher regard may be required so we can realize the importance that such schemes bear on our society’s future. However it seems unquestionable that huge changes have already been made, particularly in the past quarter of a century.
Reference
Costello Committee Report. (1984). The National Youth Policy
Committee Final Report~ Dublin: Government Publications
Youth work act 2001 Department of children and youth affairs
Burgess P& Herrmann P
Highways, Crossroads and Cul De Sacs:
Journeys Into Irish Youth & Community Work
Patrick Geddes: Social Evolutionist and City Planner By Helen E. Meller
Published Taylor & Francis e-library 2005
0' Sullivan Committee, (1980). The Development of Youth Work
Services in Ireland. Dublin: Government Publications
Models of Youth Work: A sociological framework. By L Hurley and D Treacy
Published 1993 Dublin: Irish Youth Press
Youth Work in Ireland: The Struggle for Identity By Hilary Jenkinson 2000
Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies: Vol 2, Article 6.
National Development Plan 2007-2013
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