Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T11:06:54.022Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Comparison of Youth Policy in England and Wales under New Labour

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Hannah King*
Affiliation:
School of Applied Social Sciences, University of Durham E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Although there has been a divergence in the development of youth policy across the UK, no country comparisons have been undertaken and a gap exists in the literature. This article focuses on the emergence of youth policy in England and Wales under New Labour (1997–2010), providing a cross-national comparison of policy developments in both countries. It critically explores the impact of the context for policy development and the policy content of both countries' key youth policies. The research found significant differences between the two, despite their common goals, with implications for future policy makers. This article identifies these differences, and the key similarities, providing a theoretical understanding of them and indicating lessons to inform future youth policy.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Audit Commission (1996) Misspent Youth: Young People and Crime, London: Audit Commission.Google Scholar
Barry, M. and Hallett, C. (eds.) (1998) Social Exclusion and Social Work: Issues of Theory, Policy and Practice, Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing.Google Scholar
Cabinet Office (1999) Review of the Social Exclusion Unit, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Carmel, E. (1999) ‘Concepts, context and discourse in a comparative case study’, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2, 2, 141–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coles, B. (1995) Youth and Social Policy: Youth Citizenship and Young Carers, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Coles, B. (2005) ‘Youth policy 1995–2005: from “best start” to “youth smatters”’, Youth and Policy, 89, 719.Google Scholar
Coles, B., Britton, L. and Hicks, L. (2004) Building Better Connections: Interagency Work and the Connexions Service, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.Google Scholar
Colley, H. and Hodkinson, P. (2001) ‘Problems with Bridging the Gap: the reversal of structure and agency in addressing social exclusion’, Critical Social Policy, 21, 3, 335–59.Google Scholar
Council of Europe (2003) Standards for Youth Policy Development in Europe: Working Paper, Strasbourg: Council of Europe Youth Directorate.Google Scholar
Cross, N., Evans, J. and Minkes, J. (2002) ‘Still children first? Developments in youth justice in Wales’, Youth Justice, 2, 3, 151–62.Google Scholar
Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) (2000) The Connexions Strategy: The Best Start in Life for Every Young Person, Nottingham: DfEE Publications.Google Scholar
Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) (2002) Transforming Youth Work: Resourcing Excellent Youth Services, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2003) Every Child Matters, Nottingham: DfES Publications.Google Scholar
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2005) Youth Matters, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2006) Youth Matters: Next Steps, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Doling, J. (1999) ‘Comparative housing policy’, in Classen, J. (ed.), Comparative Social Policy: Concepts, Theories and Methods, Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 5979.Google Scholar
Entwistle, T. (2006) ‘The distinctiveness of the Welsh Partnership Agenda’, International Journal of Public Sector Management, 19, 3, 228–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finlay, I. and Egan, D. (2004) ‘What policy trajectories are the national governments in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland following and are they converging or diverging?’, Nuffield Review of 14–19 Education and Training Working Paper 20, Oxford: Nuffield Review.Google Scholar
Furlong, A. and Cartmel, F. (1997) Young People and Social Change: Individualisation and Risk in Late Modernity, Buckingham: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Great Britain (1998a) Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Chapter 37, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Great Britain (1998b) Government of Wales Act 1998, Chapter 38, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Great Britain (2000a) Learning and Skills Act 2000, Chapter 21, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Great Britain (2000b) Leaving Care Act 2000, Chapter 35, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Hantrais, L. (1999) ‘Contextualization in cross-national comparative research’, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2, 2, 93108.Google Scholar
HM Treasury, (2007) Aiming High for Young People: A Ten Year Strategy for Positive Activities, Norwich: Office of Public Sector Information.Google Scholar
Hoggarth, L. and Payne, M. (2006) ‘Evidence based or evidence buried: how far have the implications of the national impact study of the work of Connexions with young people at risk informed the Green Paper?’, Youth and Policy, 90, 4358.Google Scholar
Hoggarth, L. and Smith, D. (2004) Understanding the Impact of Connexions on Young People at Risk, Nottingham: DFES.Google Scholar
Kaplan, I. (2008) ‘Being “seen” being “heard”: engaging with students on the margins of education through participatory photography’, in Thomson, P. (ed.), Doing Visual Research with Children and Young People, London: Routledge, pp. 175–91.Google Scholar
Levitas, R. (2005) The Inclusive Society? Social Exclusion and New Labour, Basingstoke: Macmillan.Google Scholar
MacLeavy, J. (2008) ‘Neoliberalising subjects: the legacy of New Labour's construction of social exclusion in local governance’, Geoforum, 39, 5, 1657–66.Google Scholar
Mangen, S. (1999) ‘Qualitative research methods in cross-national settings’, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2, 2, 109–24.Google Scholar
McAllister, L. (2000) ‘Devolution and the new context for public policy-making: lessons from the EU structural funds in Wales’, Public Policy and Administration, 15, 38, 3852.Google Scholar
Mizen, P. (2003) ‘The best days of your life? Youth, Policy and Blair's New Labour’, Critical Social Policy, 23, 4, 453–76.Google Scholar
Morgan, R. (2002) ‘Clear red water’, Speech, National Centre for Public Policy, Swansea, 11 December, http://www.sochealth.co.uk/Regions/Wales/redwater.htm.Google Scholar
National Assembly for Wales (NAW) (2000a) Extending Entitlement: Supporting Young People in Wales, Cardiff: National Assembly for Wales.Google Scholar
National Assembly for Wales (NAW) (2000b) Supporting Young People, Cardiff: National Assembly for Wales.Google Scholar
National Assembly for Wales (NAW) (2011) Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Quinn, M. (2002) ‘Evidence based or people based policy making?: A view from Wales’, Public Policy and Administration, 17, 3, 2942.Google Scholar
Rose, J. (2008) ‘Youth policy in Wales’, Youth and Policy, 100, 5563.Google Scholar
Social Exclusion Task Force (2006) Reaching Out: An Action Plan on Social Exclusion, London: Cabinet Office.Google Scholar
Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) (1998a) Truancy and Exclusion, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) (1998b) Rough Sleeping, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) (1999a) Teenage Pregnancy, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) (1999b) Bridging the Gap: New Opportunities for 16–18 Year Olds not in Education, Employment or Training, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) (2000) National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal — Report of Policy Action Team 12: Young People, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Smith, M. (2002) ‘Youth work – resourcing excellent youth services: a critique’, The Encyclopaedia of Informal Education, http://www.infed.org/youthwork/transforming_youth_work_2.htm.Google Scholar
UNCRC (2008) Concluding Observations Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Forty-ninth session, Geneva: United Nation.Google Scholar
Welsh Assembly Government (2002) Extending Entitlement: Support for 11 to 25 Year Olds in Wales – Directions and Guidance, Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government.Google Scholar
Welsh Assembly Government (2004) Extending Entitlement: Supporting 11 to 25 Year Olds in Wales – Progress Report, Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government.Google Scholar
Welsh Assembly Government (2008) Local Authority Youth Service in Wales, Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government.Google Scholar
Welsh Assembly Government (2009) UNCRC Action Plan for Wales – Getting It Right, Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government.Google Scholar
Welsh Assembly Government (2010) Welsh Assembly Government Response to UK Government's Spending Review, 20 October, http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/firstminister/2010/101020spending/?lang=en.Google Scholar
Williamson, H. (2002) Supporting Young People in Europe: Principles, Policy and Practice, Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.Google Scholar
Williamson, H. (2007) ‘Youth policy in Wales since devolution: from vision to vacuum?’, Contemporary Wales, 19, 1, 198216.Google Scholar
Woodman, D. and Wyn, J. (2013) ‘Youth policy and generations: why youth policy needs to “rethink youth”’, Social Policy and Society, 12, 2, 265–75.Google Scholar