FFS, apparently I have to explain the patriarchy

[artisanparsnips]

A toolkit was recently launched for consultations with young people as part of planning. I read it and called them out on the fact that it said nothing at all about sex, and that this was something which should not be ignored in any discussion of the public realm.

I did get a couple of sensible replies, but a junior academic involved sent me back an email which included this gem:

In the toolkit there is a specific focus on working with youth workers and balancing the voices of the young people internally, so I guess it will be up to the team applying the toolkit to make sure that there is an equal representation in the group of young people they convene.

"May I ask, which methods do you feel would disenfranchise girls? I am really interested to understand why you think boys would be potentially overpowering in this process and particularly the way of engagement that you think might not be working well as proposed."

I probably need to say a bit more than just "the patriarchy, stupid" but I might just leave it at that.

You need to draw attention to their public sector equality duty. This isa proactive requirement to ensure they meet the needs of all protected characteristics in all their planning.

OP - are you familiar with the journal 'Children's Geographies'? This might be a good place to start. Youth and Policy is also an excellent source.

I also suggest that you look up some earlier material by Janet Batsleer and also by JeanSpence.

J. Batsleer (2013) Youth Working with Girls and Women in Community Settings: A feminist perspective (Farnham: Ashgate).

e-space.mmu.ac.uk/619859/1/Janet%20Batsleet%20-%20Resurgent%20Feminist%20Approaches%20for%20sympleptic.pdf

Jean Spence has also written quite a bit on girls

Spence J. (2014) Feminism and Informal Education in Youth Work with Girls and Young Women, 1975–85. In: Mills S., Kraftl P. (eds) Informal Education, Childhood and Youth. Palgrave Macmillan, London. doi.org/10.1057

I think the 80s was the heyday of girls' work (some crept into the 90s).

See

Nava M. (1984) Youth Service Provision, Social Order and the Question of Girls. In: McRobbie A., Nava M. (eds) Gender and Generation. Youth Questions. Palgrave Macmillan, London. doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-17661-8_1

V. Carpenter and K. Young (1986) Coming in From the Margins: Youth work with girls and young women (Leicester: NAYC).

M. Nava (1982) ‘ “Everybody’s views were just broadened” A girls project and some responses to Lesbianism’, Feminist Review, 10, 37–60.

J. Spence (1996) ‘Feminism in work with girls and women’, Youth and Policy, 52, 38–53.

Of course, I can't find the exact article I was looking for!

rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1475-4762.00019

Thank you that's brilliant, I really appreciate it @YetAnotherSpartacus.

And yes, we are on the PSED trail as well; am being advised by a v hot feminist lawyer with public sector experience.

Loving your work Parsnips and Spartacus

How are you getting on @artisanparsnips ?

I'm no closer to teaching the cat how to open a wine bottle although she confirms she is very much up for smashing the patriarchy.

I’ve run away. To Brighton. I have fizzy wine. The cats have temporary carers.

I will report back if there is news...

:) Happy to help. If I can place the article I am thinking of (it was about how boys dominated the space in youth centres) then I'll post it.

Start with the wine bottle challenge first and when it’s mastered that move on up to the tricky one.