Contemporary Irish youth work policy and practice: a governmental analysis

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Date
2018
Authors
Kiely, Elizabeth
Meade, Rosie R.
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Taylor and Francis Ltd.
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Abstract
This article analyzes the governmental rationalities informing youth work policy in the contemporary Irish context. Since 2008, the implementation of neoliberalized austerity in Ireland has been destructive in terms of the number of young people's services closing and disruptions to youth work provision. Adopting a governmentality perspective, we argue that recent youth work policy developments are also undermining the integrity of youth work as youth work. Against current governmental rationalities, which privilege evidence-based practice, value for money approaches and the delivery of prescribed outcomes, we argue for a re-imagining of youth work for a postneoliberal, postevidence-based practice world.
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Keywords
Governmentality , Ireland , Neoliberalized austerity , Youth work
Citation
Kiely, E. and Meade, R. (2018) ‘Contemporary Irish youth work policy and practice: A Governmental analysis’, Child & Youth Services, 39(1), pp. 17–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/0145935X.2018.1426453
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© Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.