Participation and sense of community: youth development organization involvement and perceptions of public entities

Abstract

Over the past decades, both governments and public benefit organizations have diversified their efforts to address young people’s needs. One strategy for doing so has been through the implementation of initiatives specifically targeting youth. These efforts, which are referred to as youth development (YD) initiatives, come in a variety of forms. They provide a diverse array of resources with varying levels of impact in the lives of youth. The present study explores the dynamics of youth disproportionality in Africa. Using case study of the country of Senegal, it examines what services and resources are provided to youth by YD organizations. It contemplates whether the quality of youths’ participation in youth-specific initiatives is in itself a resource that these organizations leverage. Finally, it questions youth involved in these initiatives about their perceptions of their communities and the national government. It is guided by the following research questions: Do YD organizations’ participatory models and the types of resources they provide to youth in a particular neighborhood in Senegal affect how they perceive their government and/or their geographically defined neighborhood? Does the level of youth participation influence whether their perceptions of a successful YD initiative are congruent with those of the organizational administration?