Building capacity in youth work: Perspectives and practice in youth clubs

Youth work broadly aims to support young people’s development, socially and personally, and promotes learning in non-formal settings. One of the best opportunities for youth work in Sweden and in Finland is via the youth clubs, which are staffed by professionals who respond to the needs of young people according to firmly understood policies. In this article we analyse the historical constitution of youth clubs, the connection of youth work to Nordic social policy, the current state of youth clubs, and the perceptions the workers have in respect of their work and professional status. Our comparison of Sweden and Finland provides an analysis of the role that youth work plays in Nordic welfare services for the young, the nature of youth work in general and current tensions. One ubiquitous tension arises from the fact that youth work aims to respond to the perceived needs of society, to the needs of the young, or to the needs of both simultaneously. This article shows that the societal motivation for youth work is similar in both Sweden and Finland, but that the scope, structures and policies vary between the two countries. Whilst youth work is an integral part of welfare policy in Nordic countries, there is no agreement on its scope or even the target group.