Elements of formal support for youth workers in Croatia

Potočnik, Dunja (2023) Elements of formal support for youth workers in Croatia. Sociologija i prostor, 61 (3). pp. 541-563. ISSN 1846-5226 (Print), 1849-0387 (Online)

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Abstract

IN ENGLISH: The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the fragility of organisations and institutions providing assistance to young people. While young people are facing uncertainties in their transitions, traditional safety nets have undergone a series of ruptures, and youth work providers are stretched between the needs and aspirations of young people and the scarce resources they have at disposal. Non-governmental associations in the field of youth provide a form of “out-of-school education managed by professional or voluntary youth workers that contributes to the development of young people” (European Commission, 2009, p. 11), often without a strong and structured support in tackling their professional challenges. This is especially pronounced in the cluster of 13 EU Member States, like Croatia, which, on average, have lower success rates in many fields (e.g. median income1). The public institutions of those countries demonstrate inadequate policy responses to youth vulnerabilities and requirements of the youth non-governmental sector. This paper focuses on the relations between experiences of youth workers within the organisational environment of youth organisations, with a focus on support received during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the analysis of respective national public policies. The semi-structured interviews conducted with eight youth experts and youth workers in 2021 focused on the institutional and policy framework and support structures for youth work during the pandemic. The analysis employed the Attride-Stirling (2001) model of thematic network. Five themes crucial for contemporary youth work in Croatia were identified: 1) prioritising youth; 2) cross-sectoral cooperation; 3) administrative and financial aspects 4) recognition of youth work, and 5) digitalisation and reinvention of youth work. --------------- IN CROATIAN: Pandemija Covida-19 povećala je krhkost organizacija i institucija koje pružaju pomoć mladima. Dok se mladi ljudi suočavaju s neizvjesnostima u svojim tranzicijama, pandemija je na tradicionalnim sigurnosnim mrežama ostavila niz pukotina, a pružatelji usluga u području rada s mladima razapeti su između potreba i težnji mladih i oskudnih resursa kojima raspolažu. Nevladine organizacije u području mladih pružaju oblik „izvanškolskog obrazovanja, kojim upravljaju profesionalni ili dobrovoljni radnici s mladima, koji pridonosi razvoju mladih” (Europska komisija, 2009., str. 11), često bez snažne i strukturirane podršku u suočavanju s njihovim profesionalnim izazovima. To je posebno izraženo u klasteru od 13 država članica EU-a, poput Hrvatske, koje u prosjeku imaju niže stope uspješnosti u mnogim poljima (npr. medijan dohotka ). Javne institucije tih zemalja pokazuju neadekvatne političke odgovore na ranjivosti mladih i zahtjeve organizacija civilnog društva u području mladih. Ovaj se rad usredotočuje na povezanost iskustava osoba koje rade s mladima unutar organizacija mladih, s fokusom na podršku koja im je bila na raspolaganju tijekom pandemije Covid-19 i analizu nacionalnih javnih politika. Polustrukturirani intervjui provedeni 2021. s osam stručnjaka za mlade i omladinskih radnika bili su usredotočeni na institucionalni i politički okvir struktura podrške za rad s mladima tijekom pandemije. U analizi je korišten model tematske mreže Attride-Stirling (2001). Analizom je identificirano pet tema ključnih za suvremeni rad s mladima u Hrvatskoj: 1) davanje prioriteta mladima; 2) međusektorska suradnja; 3) administrativni i financijski aspekti; 4) prepoznavanje rada s mladima i 5) digitalizacija i reinvencija rada s mladima.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Language: English. - Title in Croatian: Elementi formalne potpore omladinskim radnicima u Hrvatskoj.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Young people, youth workers, support structures, Covid-19 pandemic, youth policy (mladi, radnici s mladima, struktura potpore, pandemija Covid-19, politika za mlade)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Depositing User:	Karolina
Date Deposited:	08 Mar 2024 10:54
Last Modified:	08 Mar 2024 10:54
URI:	http://idiprints.knjiznica.idi.hr/id/eprint/1137

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