Annual Conference of Youth Studies 2014

Places of youth and young people of places – 13th Annual Conference of Youth Studies

6th-7th November 2014, Joensuu

Organized by Finnish Youth Research Society in co-operation with the Department of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland.

The theme of the conference highlights the significance of place and space to young people’s experiences, their agency and sense of agency. The conference aims to bring together researchers from across the multidisciplinary youth studies and geography whose work examines such questions as how youth is socially constructed in place and space; how young people carve out space for themselves; and how place and inequality are interlinked in the lives of young people.

Call for papers

We welcome abstracts of oral presentations or posters to the Annual Conference on Youth Studies 2014 until 22ndSeptember. Proposals should include

name of the presenter
background organisation
email address
title of the abstract
abstract (250-300 words)
Abstracts should be submitted directly to the coordinator(s) of the working group. The working group ‘Migration, youth and regional development’ will be in English as well as a writing workshop ‘Youth Participation – Interactional, responsive and empowered communities’. Notifications about acceptance will be sent by 6th October by the latest. The abstracts will be published on the webpages of the conference.

Migration, youth and regional development

Coordinator:

Tiina Sotkasiira, Somalialaisena Suomessa ja Minnesotassa – diaspora, kansalaisuus ja kuuluminen -hanke, Itä-Suomen yliopisto, tiina.sotkasiira[at]uef.fi
Language of the workshop: English and/or Finnish

Workshop description: The studies of ethnicity and migration are central facets of youth research. All parts of Finland experience migration and migration also shapes the environment and produces different effects all over the country. In rural areas, migration and migrants are projected with various, sometimes conflicting, hopes and expectations. However, majority of the research on migration is produced in Finland's larger cities. In this working group migration is examined from the point of view of young people outside capital regions. We welcome different papers that discuss the intersections of youth, migration and possibly regional development. Papers do not need to focus on Finland, but international and comparative angles are also valued. Papers can be presented in Finnish or in English.

Writing Workshop: Youth Participation – Interactional, responsive and empowered communities

Coordinators:

Irmeli Mustalahti, LYY Institute, irmeli.mustalahti[at]uef.fi
Tatjana Lipiäinen, University of Eastern Finland, tatjana.lipiainen[at]uef.fi
Responding coordinator: 

Sirkku Ranta, University of Eastern Finland, sirkku.ranta[at]uef.fi
Language of the workshop: English and/or Finnish

Workshop format: Presenters send their manuscript drafts beforehand to all the workshop participants. All manuscripts are read before the workshop. During the workshop, each manuscript is commented on and discussed by the participants. Final drafts of articles, chapters and other texts are particularly welcomed.

Workshop description: The thematic focus of the workshop is placed on interactional ways of organising youth participation, regionally or locally. Participation of youth can be organised either vertically with the input of authorities or horizontally through self-organisation.  Transnational research on interactional organisations, movements and civil society groups in different projects, governance actions and local communities is especially suitable for this writing workshop.

The interactional and participatory approach in different projects, governance actions and local communities aims to empower local citizens to influence the developments in their immediate environment. The goal of responsive governance is to include as many actors and differing visions as possible in local and regional development. This type of approach to development highlights the importance of understanding and respecting diverse localities. The approach argues for development and social change that is primarily driven by the local population in interaction with the authorities or other relevant actors. Is this kind of development possible in practice? To what extent can the local population impact local, regional or even wider policies? Who participates in interactional initiatives and whose vision becomes dominant?

Complementing the themes of locality and interactional organisation, the workshop also focuses on youth initiatives that occur on local as well as on transnational levels. Grassroots initiatives made by young citizens can be inspired by the local context, multi-local influences and/or global trends. What kind of local and transnational communities do the young people create? Do they manage to sustain these communities in the long run or do they intentionally engage in purely pop-up events? How do the young actors participate in and interact within the diverse communities?