Belgian Youth Movements and Problems

The foreign observer is struck by the great diversity of youth movements in Belgium, and, if he has been in this country before, by their immensely increased importance in national life since the recent war. Why is there such a diversity? In Belgium, deeply rooted political opinions and religious beliefs permeate the nation and divide it into somewhat tightly sealed groups and parties, each very jealous of its influence. In a country which, religiously speaking, is predominantly Catholic, but where strong currents exist in favor of a nonreligious outlook on life,1 the Catholic Church maintains an important system of educational, cultural, and charitable organizations, parallel either to official institutions (as in the case of the schools) or to private nonreligious groups (as in the case of youth movements). The Socialists also have organizations of their own, including a youth movement, and the Communists have lately followed suit

Political science · Educational Practices and Policies · Historical and Political Studies · Multiculturalism, Politics, Migration, Gender

• Social exclusion and youth work – from the surface to the depths of an educational practice

  Tineke Van de Walle, Filip Coussée et al.•Journal of Youth Studies•2010

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• Empowering the powerful

  Open Access•Filip Coussée, G Roets et al.•Critical Social Policy•2009

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