Youth-Centered Participatory Action Research: Creating Spaces of Resistance and Change amid Inherent Inequalities Abe Oudshoorn Helene Berman Eugenia Canas June 11, 2015

Purpose Youth-centred Participatory Action Research (Y-PAR) in practice

Background – Structural Violence As opposed to interpersonal violence Structure of society Macro level Discourses, systems, policies, histories

Background – Young Women and Young Men Systemic inequities Material disadvantage Mis-representation

The Project 5-year CIHR team grant Objectives: 1)How structural forms of violence are defined, understood, and experienced by young men and young women; 2)How structural violence shapes youth health and well-being; 3)Analysis of relevant policies; 4)Analysis of the ways that mass media shapes and/or reflects dominant public perceptions of marginalized youth and structural violence; 5)Examine how structural violence is minimized, reinforced, or enacted through interactions with various systems and/or institutions; 6)Evaluate the use of youth-centred participatory action research as a health promotion strategy. 24

Methodological Underpinnings PAR and inclusion PAR and action Authenticity Spaces of empowerment

Full partnership = ownership (Cahill, 2007) Situating social challenges (Cammarota and Fine, 2008) Facilitation vs. data collection (Foster- Fishman et al, 2010) But, risk of co-opting participation (Fine, 2009) Current Literature

Youth-Related Goals Safe spaces to critically examine circumstances of their lives Policy-level reflection 26

Project Approach Governance and process involvement Co-researchers National Youth Advisory Board

Key Learnings Authenticity vs. tokenism A critical lens on evaluation Arts-based approaches and safe spaces Mutuality of learning Mutuality of mentoring 28

Future Research Expanded knowledge-in-action Specific policy focus 29

Conclusion