ABSTRACT
Drawing on the work of Bourdieu, Gramsci, and Putnam, this chapter aims to develop a deeper understanding of youths’ non-formal learning processes within a creative youth club. The chapter focuses on three themes, or double features, related to the function of cultural activities of a specific youth association. These three themes are: (i) The youth association as a springboard and/or fertile soil. (ii) The association as an arena for promoting ‘good character’ from within and/or disciplining from above. (iii) Branding the city and/or using the association as a correction strategy. The specific youth association that is the focus of the chapter is Rörelsen Gatans Röst och Ansikte (The Movement of the Voice and Face of the Street), an association that has evolved around hip-hop culture, with aspirations to increase political and social awareness and commitment among local youths in the city Malmö, Sweden. The results show how RGRA constitutes an arena that can be described as a fertile soil for young people who are given the opportunity to develop both skills and learning, and also their personal interests. However, RGRA can also be understood to function as a fast-paced springboard, which demonstrates the complexity of RGRA and its social pedagogical approach. In RGRA’s social media presentations the association shows off its success, directed to local politicians as a mark of the association’s quality. This is linked to the existing parallel perspectives of Malmö where RGRA is made out to be a creative association with inter-aesthetic activities in line with Malmö’s creative ambitions. Meanwhile, the educational fostering and discipline that takes place within the association is clearly geared towards giving young people a second chance – an ideal that has its foundation in classical, holistic, popular education ideals. Youth leaders, who themselves lack formal education, appear to have the role of organic educators able to implement innovative ideas and practices.
