Young people "outsiders" in Australian politics
Young people "outsiders" in Australian politics
Young people demonstrate a broad understanding about how the political system works in a democratic society in Australia. They consider that the existing political structures and system do not encourage or value their participation nor offer them sufficient opportunity to contribute to decision making.
The Whitlam Institute and the University of Western Sydney Office of Engagement have been working for the past year on a project that seeks to understand how young people in Australia participate in democracy and what they imagine as an effective democracy for them and all citizens. The project has been supported by the Foundation for Young Australians.
In August 2008 a literature review, authored by Philippa Collin from the Inspire Foundation, was launched. The review and its key findings are available on our website.
More recently the views of young people have been canvassed through a youth forum held at the NSW State Library in September and through a series of youth focus groups across NSW. The focus groups research, conducted by University of Western Sydney academics Dr Mike Horsley and Dr Debra Costley, shows that young people see political structures, particularly at the state and federal level, as complex and not offering them opportunities to participate. Many young people are engaged in activities in their communities at a local level but consider that the current political structures need to change to enable them to participate and re-engage beyond the community level. The report and its key findings are now available on our website.
