Youth participation in empowerment planning: Studies of individual, organizational, and community change.

Abstract

Despite an increasing interest of planners in disenfranchised communities, there has been little emphasis on the involvement of young people. This dissertation presents in-depth case studies of three organizations in Seattle, Washington, in which young people plan and implement programs intended to create community change. It employs qualitative research methods, draws upon a larger study of a wide range of community organizations, and examines organizational goals and practices, roles of youth and adults, and other factors affecting outcomes for individuals, organizations, and communities. Special attention is paid to empowerment, which is defined as increase in both the capacity to create change as well as actual change in the balance of power in communities. Findings indicate that through multiple strategies of community organizing and empowering organizational practices, youth participants develop their capacities for creating change, and their organizations increase involvement and public recognition of youth as stakeholders in policy-making. These accomplishments cause adults to consult with youth, but without sharing power in decision-making.