The theory
Empowerment is a key aspect of youth work. It is held up as one of the four core values of youth work, the others of which are voluntary participation, equality of opportunity and informal education. Empowerment is not a theory or a concept but a process by which groups and individuals feel empowered to achieve, participate and overcome their lack of power and control, both personally and societally. We all want young people to be more empowered, but what does being empowered mean?
Power
In order to think about empowerment we must first understand the nature of power itself. Consider the figures and institutions which have power in the world we inhabit. Power is often linked to politics, politicians and governments who make laws and exercise control over citizens. However, power features in the everyday too, when a parent forbids their child to do something, or an employer tells off a worker, these too are exercises of power. Understanding where that power comes from and how it is wielded is important.
Some people have power because there is an established belief in their appointment, for example in the right of kings and queens to rule a country. Others have power because of their personal charismatic qualities: their strong vision and values inspire followers. Finally, there are those who have power because of the position they hold, for example, a lollipop lady doesn’t stop cars because she has come from a long line of lollipop ladies nor because their very personality inspires cars to slow down, but because the reflective coat and giant lollipop signify a position of power. People are ascribed power by the people around them, though some take it by force. A police officer has the power of arrest because we as a society have decided that a person going through the correct training and with appropriate accountability is required. Their power is given from us.
Thinking about the forms of power described above, how would you define the power you have in your work with young people?
Young people taking control
An essential part of youth work is the willingness to negotiate the power and control which you have. Young people are going through a stage of life where there is less and less dependence on a parental figure and more and more opportunity to have control over the direction of their life. As youth workers we are here to help them accept, make sense of and exercise this new-found control. This gets done in a number of ways in groups we work with. Having positions of responsibility in church and in youth group empower young people to express their gifts and exercise leadership. We may also ensure there are opportunities to have their voice heard. Through helping make key decisions within their groups and faith communities, they are considered valued members.
Jesus came to this world with the complete power of God. Yet he didn’t use it to rule over us but left us with the Holy Spirit saying, ‘Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works’ (John 14:12). His consistent refrain throughout was not about seeking power for yourself, but empowering others beyond your own position. Do young people see this in our communities?
Young people being made aware of imbalances
Power is a feature of all relationships. We can often choose how we use that power and even whether we relinquish that power to others. Power is not only wielded by individuals but also institutions and engrained societal norms. Sexism, racism, ageism and disable-ism are all examples of how power is not distributed equally. When we don’t have power to change our life and the world around us it can have a debilitating affect.
When we feel powerless for any extended length of time, we tend to become more willing to accept the world we would otherwise reject. We act in ways that go against our best visions of who we are and who we can and want to be.
Powerlessness corrupts. Powerlessness corrupts in a very direct way: it transforms and distorts us. It makes us different from how we would otherwise want to be. We look at the world and our behaviour, and we want to tell ourselves that although we really aren’t living the lives we want to live, there is nothing we can do about it. We are powerless.
Unfortunately when we are powerless we may not be able to see what is keeping us down. It is here that the role of the youth worker becomes that of social critic, inciting the young person to be an agent of change. Young people often have a keen sense of injustice and rally behind many causes that try to restore power to the powerless. But sometime the youth worker must point out and challenge the hidden institutional injustices to awaken young people to action in their own communities.
Jesus very clearly pointed out the imbalance of power in First Century Jewish life. Eating with sinners, touching the unclean and socialising with outcasts brought humanity and acceptance to those he ministered to and showed up the unjust system which was present. There are many in the history of Christianity who have led acts of civil disobedience in order to show up a corrupt system. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, and the conscientious objectors during World War II all stood their ground to oppose injustice. Young people can be complicit in acts of disempowerment and sometimes it takes a jolt to make them see life from the other side.
The experiment
Historically, our youth sessions were male-dominated; it was not uncommon for only one or two girls to attend. Despite this, a small group of girls began to attend regularly, however when asked why more of their friends didn’t come with them they described some harrowing experiences. Many of these descriptions involved crude and inappropriate comments being made about them or their friends by boys. Others made reference to the comments that some of the boys made about female members of staff ‘getting in the kitchen’ or using the word ‘girl’ as a derogatory term.
Our response was to challenge the sexist behaviour and language of the young people head-on, by flipping the perceived norm of male dominance with female dominance. Everyone who was male (even the youth workers) were only allowed to play table tennis or pool if the girls approved, the girls were given a wide range of tasty food and drink, while the boys had to settle for water. We placed pictures of women who worked in traditionally male-dominated areas such as bricklayers and soldiers and men who worked in traditionally female-dominated areas such as ballet dancers and hairdressers. After an hour, we explained why the boys were being discriminated against and then brought out more treats for everyone in the youth centre to share.
Before the session began we had expected at least some young people to rebel against the discrimination they were experiencing but they did not. Interestingly, the boys worked out what was happening relatively quickly; however, they expected to receive a reward for working it out. Their complaints of ‘it’s not fair’, and ‘that’s sexist’, provided further opportunities for discussion on gender discrimination and obviously made a lasting impression. For several weeks after the session the boys challenged each other about the language they were using when talking to or referring to girls. Remarkably, the girls didn’t abuse their new-found power; whenever possible they gave treats to the boys and in the end it was the youth workers imposing the temporary new rules.
The session provided a valuable learning experience for all the young people who attended. We were all surprised at how the boys accepted the fact that they were being denied something purely based on their gender and at the generosity of the girls, who rather than get revenge for the discrimination they had experienced chose to rebel against the power dynamic that worked in their favour.
Try it yourself:
A good activity to do with your team is to explore some of these questions together. Remember it’s not about pointing fingers and assigning blame but objectively reviewing your work and find a way to improve.
• Who has power?
• Who gives them power?
• How do we empower others? • How might we disempower others? (This may be through inaction rather than direct action.)
You may like to facilitate young people exploring the same questions and compare answers. Young people will like to discuss issues of empowerment in their own lives and of young people around the world. Here are some starter questions:
• How do you know when empowerment has happened? Do you have an example?
• Young people can join the army at 16, but they can’t vote on a government that makes the decisions about where they will be sent. Is this fair?
• Who is disempowered in our society? What might we do?
• Explore those in Christian history who have stood up for the disempowered. What might it look like for young people to be agents of change?
Resources
Websites
Activism and craft = Craftivisim (craftivistcollective.com). This website is great for enabling young people to participate in activism.
Books
Empowerment and participation in youth work By Annette Fitzsimons, Max Hope, Keith Russell and Charlie Cooper.
Films
If you can still bear hearing young people sing ‘Let it Go’, watch Frozen and explore together the themes of empowerment.
