The book provides a much needed fresh and radical perspective of the professional role, identifying novel and innovative interpretations of and trajectories for practice. Breaking away from ideas mostly framed by academics and/or those with relatively limited practice focus, with contributions from a diverse group of ‘chalk face’ workers as well as references to authentic practice situations, Belton reorients youth work to respond to the actual experience of young people and those working for their interests and growth. Rejecting deficit models as part of the hangover from the roots of modern exploitation, Belton offers an anti-colonial model of practice that understands youth work as a ‘guerrilla profession’. Calling on the likes of Che Guevara and confronting ‘surveillance society’, Developing Critical Youth Work Theory is an exciting, informative and above all an inspiring read for anyone working with, alongside or for young people. Dr Brian Belton is a Senior Lecture at the YMCA George Williams College in London, the largest trainer of professional youth and community workers in the world. Brian has taught and practiced youth work all over the planet, from East London to Shanghai, from the Falkland Islands to Toronto for more than thirty years. An international authority on Roma, Gypsy and Traveller ethnicity and popular sporting culture, he is a prolific writer of more than 30 books and in Developing Critical Youth Work Theory he has produced a work, aimed at professionals, working and/or in training, who are involved with young people in the local community context.

The book provides a much needed fresh and radical perspective of the professional role, identifying novel and innovative interpretations of and trajectories for practice.Breaking away from ideas mostly framed by academics and/or those with relatively limited practice focus, with contributions from a diverse group of 'chalk face' workers as well as references to authentic practice situations, Belton reorients youth work to respond to the actual experience of young people and those working for their interests and growth.Rejecting deficit models as part of the hangover from the roots of modern exploitation, Belton offers an anti-colonial model of practice that understands youth work as a 'guerrilla profession'. Calling on the likes of Che Guevara and confronting 'surveillance society', Developing Critical Youth Work Theory is an exciting, informative and above all an inspiring read for anyone working with, alongside or for young people.Dr Brian Belton is a Senior Lecture at the YMCA George Williams College in London, the largest trainer of professional youth and community workers in the world. Brian has taught and practiced youth work all over the planet, from East London to Shanghai, from the Falkland Islands to Toronto for more than thirty years. An international authority on Roma, Gypsy and Traveller ethnicity and popular sporting culture, he is a prolific writer of more than 30 books and in Developing Critical Youth Work Theory he has produced a work, aimed at professionals, working and/or in training, who are involved with young people in the local community context.

This valuable textbook communicates the complexities and controversies at the heart of youth work management, exploring key issues in a critical fashion. Written by a team of experienced youth work lecturers, the chapters cover topics such as planning, evaluation and supervision, whilst acknowledging the changing structures of integrated services and the impact of public service reform. Divided into three sections, it covers: Historical and theoretical context Critical practice issues, including leadership, policy constraints, planning and accountability Managing in different settings, for instance integrated services and the voluntary sector. Aimed at both youth work students studying for their professional qualification, as well as practicing managers, Critical Issues in Youth Work Management encourages critical thinking about what management in youth work is and what it can be. It includes reflective questions and further reading, and case studies are integrated throughout.

Youth Work Process and Practice provides an overview of the central concerns in youth work today, exploring what youth work actually consists in and developing an authentic theoretical framework for practice. This accessible textbook places the role of the curriculum and idea of practice as a process at the centre of youth work. Exploring important aspects of practice – such as empowerment, participation and choice, group work, experiential learning and the importance of relationship building – Jon Ord explains how the idea of curriculum can be used to communicate, legitimate and develop youth worth practice, as well as help to articulate its value and importance. The book includes a detailed and up-to-date analysis of the policy climate, looks at the implications of its focus on measurability and outcomes and discusses the impact of devolution in the UK on youth work practice. It contrasts dominant contemporary perspectives of youth and youth culture and argues that, rather than competing, ‘informal’ and ‘social’ education are twin aspects of an educational practice which must emphasises both individual development and wider social change. Youth Work Process and Practice is an essential read for all students of youth and community work and will also be an important reference for practising youth workers.

Informal Learning in Youth Work offers fresh perspectives on all aspects of informal education in the youth work setting. Designed to develop the reader′s knowledge and skills, this comprehensive textbook explores key issues such as communication, power relations, ethics, gender exclusion, sexuality, race discrimination and social class. The author places particular emphasis on conversation as a key means of promoting informal learning and engaging effectively with young people. Other key features include: " case studies that illustrate the application of theory to `real-life′ practice " an emphasis on critical reflection, including reflective questions " an easily accessible style, with key terms and tips for further reading " a four-part structure guiding the reader through different stages of conversations and relationships in informal education. Informal Learning in Youth Work provides a unique combination of theoretical analysis and practice tips. Satisfying training and course requirements in the area, it will be essential reading for all students on youth and community work courses, as well as those in allied fields such as education and social work. It will also be a valuable reference for practitioners working with young people on a daily basis.

A contemporary reflection on current practice, this book gets to the heart of what 'youth work' is about. It provides an in-depth overview and analysis of practice,addressing the many experiences of working with young people through insightful chapters written by practitioners themselves.

This book introduces the concept of critical mentoring, presenting its theoretical and empirical foundations, and providing telling examples of what it looks like in practice, and what it can achieve. At this juncture when the demographics of our schools and colleges are rapidly changing, critical mentoring provides mentors with a new and essential transformational practice that challenges deficit-based notions of protégés, questions their forced adaptation to dominant ideology, counters the marginalization and minoritization of young people of color, and endows them with voice, power and choice to achieve in society while validating their culture and values.Critical mentoring places youth at the center of the process, challenging norms of adult and institutional authority and notions of saviorism to create collaborative partnerships with youth and communities that recognize there are multiple sources of expertise and knowledge. Torie Weiston-Serdan outlines the underlying foundations of critical race theory, cultural competence and intersectionality, describes how collaborative mentoring works in practice in terms of dispositions and structures, and addresses the implications of rethinking about the purposes and delivery of mentoring services, both for mentors themselves and the organizations for which they work. Each chapter ends with a set of salient questions to ask and key actions to take. These are meant to move the reader from thought to action and provide a basis for discussion.This book offers strategies that are immediately applicable and will create a process that is participatory, emancipatory and transformative.

Youth Work in the Commonwealth: A Growth Profession establishes a baseline to inform the planning and implementation of initiatives to professionalise youth work in Commonwealth member countries. The study was conducted in 35 countries in the Africa, Asia, the Caribbean/Americas, Europe and Pacific regions. It catalogues the extent to which the youth work profession is formally recognised in these countries and examines the qualities and rights-based ethos of the various forms of youth work promoted and practised in the Commonwealth. The report aims to help countries learn from good practices, and assess gaps in establishing youth work as a recognised profession in diverse contexts.

Describes how common, everyday spaces in youth's lives can be leveraged to help them recognize and fight injustice.

The SAGE Handbook of Youth Work Practice showcases the value of professional work with young people as it is practiced in diverse forms in locations around the world. The editors have brought together an international team of contributors who reflect the wide range of approaches that identify as youth work, and the even wider range of approaches that identify variously as community work or community development work with young people, youth programmes, and work with young people within care, development and (informal) education frameworks. The Handbook is structured to explore histories, current practice and future directions: Part One: ′Youth Work′ and Approaches to Professional Work with Young People Part Two: Professional Work With Young People: Projects and Practices to Inspire Part Three: Values and Ethics in Work with Young People Part Four: Current Challenges and Hopes for the Future