Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on cultivating skills that are contextually situated and responsive. It discusses social construction and post-structural theory as alternatives to the conventional Western worldview on identity, language, power relations, and communication that permeate our social interactions, both within and outside of youth work practice. The book focuses on relational and language practices for talking about and addresses problems that often enter young people’s lives. It presents some methodologies from the interdisciplinary field of cultural studies. The book addresses how becoming an effective youth worker is an ongoing process. It looks at the broader sphere of community organizing and activism as an aspect of youth work. Relational ethics and an ethic of care are central to a socially just practice that is flexible, responsive, and contextual.