Podcast #13: Youth Work and Power
In this episode of the Ultimate Youth Worker Podcast Aaron speaks with Ben Lohmeyer from Tabor College of Higher Education about his research into youth work and power.
Ben Lohmeyer is a critical youth sociologist and youth worker. He is a PhD candidate at Flinders University and the Program Coordinator of the Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences (Youth Work) at Tabor. Ben’s research interests include: youth, governance, violence (personal, structural and neoliberal) and youth work practice.
Ben has worked across a range of youth work settings including alternative education, alternative accommodation and peace building. He has experience facilitating restorative justice processes, designing and facilitating peace building programs as well as grant and policy writing. Ben has is currently completing his PhD in Sociology at Flinders University focussing on youth and neoliberal violence.
In todays episode Aaron and Ben speak about youth work and power. How do youth workers recognise power issues? How do youth workers identify and manage power inequalities in the professional relationship? What can youth workers do when power is imposed by neoliberal structures? How can youth workers show genuine concern in the face of power imbalances? Youth workers must wrestle with the concept of power as it is a significant issue for the young people we serve and in doing youth work with integrity.
You can find more information about Ben’s publications at someyouthfulthoughts.wordpress.com or follow him on twitter @LohmeyerBen
Today’s resources
Here are links to some of Ben’s latest articles that have bearing on todays podcast.
- Restorative Practices and Youth Work:Theorizing Professional Power Relationships with Young People
- Youth and their workers: the interacting subjectification effects of neoliberal social policy and NGO practice frameworks
- Youth as an artefact of governing violence: Violence to young people shapes violence by young people
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Aaron Garth
Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.
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