Fostering a Critical Consciousness for Social and Political Change: A Case Study of Youth-led Organizing in The Netherlands

While youth policy in the Netherlands has conventionally been characterized by a problem-oriented approach to youth development, the contemporary shift towards a positive approach presents a noteworthy moment for reevaluating how policy makers and practitioners can more effectively work for and with youth in their communities. Viewing youth development from a social justice perspective, this study argues for approaches to youth development that aim to support youth in the process of identifying, navigating, and combating the social and political conditions in their lives and communities. Youth-led organizing is explored in this research as a possible approach for doing so. Through a case study of youth-led organizing in Netherlands, this research draws on Paulo Freire’s notions of critical consciousness and reflects on the potential of youthled organizing in supporting Dutch youth in the process of recognizing, and taking action upon, the inequitable social and political conditions in their lives and communities. The study reflects on the key processes and features within the organizing process that support the process of critical consciousness development among youth members, as well as their limitations. It furthermore reflects on the complex relationships that exist between youth organizers and adults in the context of youth-led organizing.