1.7 Understanding Roles
Activity 3: Understanding roles
Look back at the philosophical positions on work with young people described above and answer these questions:
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Which of these fits most closely with your own philosophy on working with young people?
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If you are currently working with young people, which of these philosophies fits most closely with the way you work at present?
Alternatively, you might want to look at the workers at Factory, Madcap, or Cowbridge (in the previous clips) and match them with the philosophical positions.
Discussion
Comment
Whether we are aware of it or not, roles are not value free. The interventions we make in our work with young people cannot be understood only by the actions we take. These need to be understood in relation to an overall philosophy of what we are trying to achieve. In some cases the roles we take will be influenced by factors which are beyond our own personal values. Organisations have their own priorities and philosophies, as does the government. The roles we play are shaped not only by our own skills, judgements and philosophies, but also by the wider context in which we work. These external factors can create real tensions for practitioners as they try to work within their own values whilst carrying out the tasks for which they and their organisation are funded.
In this activity we asked you to match philosophical positions with examples of practice. In fact it is unlikely that you will find any exact fits, since most practice is a mix of several underlying philosophies. It is also common to find different practitioners within one project who take differing stances towards their work.
So far, we have been looking at how practitioners think about the roles they play in their work with young people. In Activity 4 we ask you to turn again to the clips and listen to what the young people involved in the Madcap and Factory projects have to say about the practitioners who work with them.
Click in the box below to start playing the video.
Transcript: Madcap - Jackie
Text: Jackie’s first contact with Steve was when she came for a course called “School’s Out”.
Text: She enjoyed Madcap so much that she’s now back on work experience.
Text: She’s just started working with Steve on a song linked to one of her closest friends.
Text: Jackie believes the main beneficiary will be her friend.
Text: But Jackie benefits too. The result: a song that will hopefully speak for itself.
Click in the box below to start playing the video.
Transcript: Madcap - James
Text: It’s a year since he was referred to Madcap by his Connexions adviser
Text: Madcap provides opportunities for James to develop his musical talent
Text: James’ relationship with the project’s central worker, Steve, is a crucial part of his experience of Madcap
Text: Listening is an important skill for someone working with young people
Text: Madcap’s flexible approach has engaged with James to an extent that formal education could not.
Text: Madcap’s atmosphere encourages informal learning.
Click in the box below to start playing the video.
Transcript: Madcap - Callier
Text: 19-yr-old Callier was introduced to Madcap by James.
Text: Like many young people, Callier had previously felt a lack of motivation.
Text: The cost of a similarly equipped commercial recording studio would have been prohibitive.
Text: Working with Steve has proved very different to Callier’s experiences at school.
Text: So what effect has his involvement with Madcap had on on Callier and his self-esteem?
Click in the box below to start playing the video.
Transcript: Madcap - Dan
Text: Dan would recommend Madcap to any young person with musical interests.
Text: Dan has been coming, with the rest of the band, for several months.
Text: Working with Gawaine and Steve has helped him develop his artistic talent and technical skill.
Text: A major part of the attraction for Dan is the creative teamwork.
Text: He’s discovered the motivation and discipline that performance demands
Activity 4: Listening to young people
Listen to what Callier, Jackie, James and Dan say about working with Steve in the Madcap project.
Under Factory, listen to what Kawsar and Paul say about working with Andrew (see Factory clips 2 and 3).
Make a note of the roles which these young people identify, and what they say about them.
Discussion
Comment
Here we describe only a few of the roles the young people identify as helpful to them.
At Madcap, Callier, Jackie and James all see Steve as a facilitator. According to Callier, Steve is someone who ‘brings out the best’ in you. When encouraged to compare Steve to her teachers, Jackie talks about the quality of the personal attention she gets. James comments that Steve is ‘good at talking and getting his point across’ and also ‘a good listener’. He values the freedom he is given to make the music that interests him: ‘he's happy with anything you want to do, so that's the cool thing about Steve’.
At The Factory, Kawsar and Paul have a lot of respect for Andrew. They feel understood and listened to. Kawsar says, for example, that Andrew ‘knows how we are and right he understands like culture wise’. Paul values the guidance Andrew has given him: ‘he listens to you no matter what the problem is … it's nice to feel he has time time for you’. He sees Andrew as an ally and a mentor who has helped to ‘put me on the rails’.
Whatever struck you from these interviews, it is clear that listening to young people's views is a rich source for reflection on roles. If you are currently working with young people, you may want to discuss with them their experiences and expectations of you and your colleagues.