Peer-reviewed article
An Intersectional Analysis of Child and Adolescent Inclusion in Local Participation Processes
Noemi Laforgue-Bullido, Marta Sabariego, Antonio Ruíz, Ana Belén Cano-Hila ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines barriers to children and adolescents' participation in local decision-making processes in Spain, using an intersectional lens. The researchers surveyed 191 youth workers to understand how social categories like gender, race, economic status, and disability create additional obstacles beyond the general adult-centrist bias against young people. The study identifies structural challenges that prevent full inclusion and proposes strategies to create more diverse and inclusive participation spaces.
Key points
- Adult-centrism is a widespread barrier that devalues non-adults' views on public life
- Children and adolescents belonging to multiple marginalized social categories face compounded exclusion from participation
- Social categories including gender, origin, race, economic status, disability, and gender identity intersect with age to weaken social inclusion
- The intersectional approach is presented as a tool to avoid excluding children with added social barriers
- 191 local youth workers were surveyed to assess their perceptions of inclusivity in child participation bodies
Limitations
The document is an abstract or introduction and does not present findings, outcomes, or concrete strategies beyond identifying the problem. It does not provide data on the actual effectiveness of any measures or interventions tested.
Abstract
Educational and social initiatives promoting participation among children and adolescents struggle with the widely‐held notion that non‐adult stages of life are merely transitory and that, therefore, non‐adults’ views on public life are of less value. Apart from this hurdle of adult‐centrism, there are other obstacles to the full participation of this segment of the population. The present study analyses the inbuilt structures that help or hinder children and adolescents’ participation in the local arena. Being ascribed to one or other of the social categories (gender, origins, racialisation, economic status, functional diversity, physical and mental health, gender identity), in addition to being a child or adolescent, involves a further difficulty in exercising one’s rights in general and the right of participation in particular, and this weakens young people’s social inclusion and exercise of citizenship, deepening their social vulnerability. This is where the intersectional approach can help us avoid the exclusion of children and adolescents with added social barriers. In this article, we survey 191 local youth workers to determine their perceptions of inclusivity in child participation bodies in their municipality. The specific measures in place are also discussed. Lastly, we identify the challenges to children’s inclusion in local participation processes and some strategies for advancing towards the creation of more diverse and inclusive arenas of participation.