Abstract
Critical social analysis is a foundational sociopolitical learning experience which supports youth development and social action. While practical guidance for facilitating critical social analysis exists, there is a need for empirical work exploring educator and participant experiences. To understand how urban educators implement critical social analysis and how participants experience it, reflective interviews were conducted with adult leaders and former youth organizers in Teen Advocates for Sexual Health. In a highly-segregated midwestern city, leaders engaged diverse youth in critical social analysis and social action around access to comprehensive school-based sexual health education. Three empowering interpersonal processes supported critical conversations on power, privilege, and sexual health. First, adult leaders established norms for power sharing and group communication. Second, leaders helped youth distinguish between feeling uncomfortable, integral to social justice learning, and feeling emotionally unsafe. Third, leaders supported emotional safety, allowing youth to determine their level of participation. Youth were empowered to remain engaged when uncomfortable, take action if they felt unsafe, and share responsibility for community safety. Combined with other organizing experiences, critical social analysis empowered participants as teens and contributed to adult social justice commitments. Findings contribute to literature on how urban educators can support sociopolitical development across settings.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Codebook
Empowering interpersonal processes supporting critical social analysis in TASH
Adult practices | Youth experiences | |
---|---|---|
Broader interpersonal processes | ||
Youth empowerment philosophy | “I think we let youth know in the beginning that this is gonna be your organization and not ours…it’s that old saying that, “youth are our future leaders,” and we used to say, “no, they’re our leaders right now” | “The adult educators would be there to kind of help navigate if need be, but it was our discussion, and, I don’t think that’s an opportunity given to a lot of youth.”—A |
Community norms | Discussion norms Shared leadership Youth feedback Open housekeeping | “We had solid discussion norms that were tied into classic step up, step back that were tied into the anti-oppression curriculum.”—T |
Embracing discomfort | ||
Learning and discomfort pedagogy | “If you get to space of where you’re uncomfortable, and you can push it, your learning’s right there” | “We go (to TASH) to have uncomfortable conversations, to step out of the comfort zone.” M.2 |
Feeling unsafe vs. uncomfortable | “We do a whole session at the beginning of the year, ‘I feel uncomfortable, I feel unsafe.’ There is a difference” | “I felt really uncomfortable but I didn’t feel unsafe. I felt like other people shared my discomfort, and it was gonna be ok. We were gonna work through it,’ T.2 |
Fostering emotional safety | ||
Flexible participation | “Sometimes the safe way to be in a space is to not be in that space, and so that’s something we try to really protect the students’ right to do.” H.2 | There were a few times when I would feel too triggered, and I would leave, and the great thing about those open housekeeping rules is I wasn’t embarrassed about feeling triggered” K.2 |
Appendix 2
Member check table with study participants
Participant | Comments | Action taken |
---|---|---|
Program coordinator | “Very impressive, and more-so, I think it’s very credible. I would agree that the messages you’ve gotten from the students reflect how I see TASH” | No action needed |
Social justice coordinator | Acknowledged receipt of the document but made no suggestions | No action needed |
Pat | Responded, “it’s fine” | No action needed |
Heather | “Overall, I think it is a great overview! Thank you for your work!” “I’m just really pleased to be quoted as saying ‘whatevs.’ Awesome! (seriously no sarcasm in this comment-it genuinely makes me happy)” | No action needed |
Aubrey | Acknowledged receipt of the document but made no suggestions | No response |
Michael | “I love what I read! Good synopsis of our conversations :)” | No action needed |
Kayla | acknowledged receipt of the document but made no suggestions | No action needed |
Taylor | “On the whole I found this really interesting to read, and did not have substantive issues with the characterization of my relationship to TASH.” Requested two changes of phrasing regarding characterization of Taylor’s leadership and politics | Phrases changed to mutually agreed upon descriptions |
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Nicholas, C., Eastman-Mueller, H. Supporting Critical Social Analysis: Empowering Processes in a Youth Organizing Group. Urban Rev 52, 708–729 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-020-00548-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-020-00548-0