Understanding the public participation of young people in border regions of mainland Portugal

Youth as Local Development Agent

Dados Bibliográficos

ID6439476
AutoresThiago Freires (0000-0003-4741-0763, Universidade do Porto), Sara Faria (0000-0002-1943-2255, Universidade do Porto), Sofia Marques Da Silva (0000-0002-2688-1171, Universidade do Porto, autor correspondente)
Ano2023
Volume28
Fascículo2
Páginas410-427
Data de publicação2023-10-23
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Youth Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1367-6261 • E-ISSN: 1469-9680
EditoraTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13676261.2023.2271857
OpenAlexW4387878925
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas33

Although young people are recognized as stakeholders who should be involved in public participation, engagement by youth advocates in local development and decision-making is scarce. Young people's input tends to be seen as less valuable, especially when the prevailing positions on development overemphasize economic interests. This article is based on research conducted in rural border regions in mainland Portugal. We conducted semi-structured interviews with representatives of the municipalities (n = 36), a questionnaire (n = 3968) and biographical interviews with young people (n = 50). The results suggest that young people see themselves as capable of contributing to the development of their regions, whilst demonstrating innovative views, with some even proposing a paradigm shift that encompasses a new way of thinking about sustainability and quality of life. We argue that local bodies of governance would benefit from an intentional involvement of young people in local policy making processes, especially when they are focused on local development

Business · Corporate governance · Economic growth · Geography · Local Development · Local governance · Local government · Mainland · Political science · Regional science · Sociology · Children's Rights and Participation · Gender Studies · Public Administration · Youth Development and Social Support · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics