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Topic outline

 

  • Time: 12 hours
    Level: Introductory

 
 

Introduction

  • Introduction Resource
  • In this unit, we look at the roles that are taken when working with young people. We focus on what those working with young people actually do, starting with some analysis of roles. We show that, in the...
 

1: Thinking about roles

  • Preamble Resource
  • ‘Role’ is a word we use all the time, for example ‘my role is to do the ironing while she sorts out the blocked drain in the kitchen’ or ‘my role is to ask the difficult questions at meetings’. Here we...
  • Actions Resource
  • In Activity 1 below, the purpose is to observe and identify some of the actions or interventions that adults make in their day-to-day work with young people. Some examples of these individual actions are:...
  • Characters: the Ally and the ‘Emotional worker’ Resource
  • In this section we describe seven ‘characters’ who often appear in work with young people, as well as in other types of informal education:
  • Characters: the Catalyst, the Mentor and the Advocate Resource
  • Description: A catalyst is something which changes the speed of a reaction. Those who work with young people often need to act at the interface between the young person and the opportunities that...
  • Characters: the Facilitator and the Supervisor Resource
  • Description: A facilitator works closely with the individual or group of young people to help them achieve a task and learn from the experience. Implicit in a facilitator's role is the belief that...
  • Philosophies Resource
  • In your overall approach to your work with young people, you will be taking on different characters at different times. Being able to identify these, and take on the most appropriate character at any given...
 

2: Roles in a wider context

  • The diversity of roles Resource
  • So far we have looked at the roles that are taken in work with young people. Now we move on to discuss roles in relation to the ‘bigger picture’ of organisations and projects that are concerned with young...
  • Roles within agencies, projects and organisations Resource
  • The next activity is intended to widen your understanding of the variety of roles undertaken in the field of‘work with young people’.
  • Review Resource
  • This unit has examined the diversity of roles played in working with young people. We have looked at roles on three levels:
 

References and Acknowledgements

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