Exploring Youth Participation in Disadvantaged Areas: The Importance of Youth Organizations in The Hague Southwest

This paper explored participatory behavior amongst youth in The Hague. Participation is an important concept in contemporary public administration. Studies have shown that involving citizens in policy-making processes has resulted in positive effects on democratic procedures and the credibility of institutions. Nonetheless, participation should not only be viewed as a formal concept. Informal participation is more prevalent, especially in disadvantaged areas. Boundary spanners – particularly youth organizations – play an important role in fostering participation on both sides of the spectrum. By investigating six factors – socioeconomic status, trust, knowledge, societal roles, social capital, time – through qualitative methods, determinants of participatory behavior were studied among 14 participants between the ages 16-25. A comparison between youth that volunteered at a youth organization and youth that did not, allowed to gain insights in participatory behavior and how this was influenced by the youth organization. While socioeconomic status did not appear to have an influence on the behavior, the findings reveal that the remaining five factors significantly impact youth behavior. Participants with low levels of trust were reluctant to participate, while community identification and genuine interaction contributed to trust building. Through partnering with the municipality and fostering social networks youth organizations increased trust in both neighborhood and government. Knowledge and understanding of participation and its outcomes were critical to encourage engagement, facilitated by information brokering of youth organizations. Thirdly, societal roles – including stereotypes and adultist attitudes – formed a visible hindrance to participation. Inclusive opportunities promoted by the organizations offered a solution to this. Fourthly, social networks and norms were decisive because of information exchange and peer motivation. By offering an engaged social network, youth organizations created favorable social norms and information flows. Finally, time is a crucial element since youth are busy and participation is time-consuming. Priorities are determined selectively, based on a cost-benefit analysis. Youth organizations offer immaterial compensations which make participation beneficial. The attitude towards participation amongst youth in HSW is diverse. Efforts to broaden participation should address the diverse needs and preferences of youth. Youth organizations in this area impact this by offering a blend of informal and formal participation.