Elementos facilitadores y barreras para la participación en proyectos comunitarios: un estudio de caso con población adolescente

Abstract

This article presents some preliminary data of a research about a group of teenager´s participation (12-17 years-old) in a community project. It is based on a wider research project which, during two years (2013-15), has used an ethnographic approach to understand teenager´s daily experiences in that community project and the generated process through their interaction with peers and the educational team. The purpose of this article is to identify drivers and barriers that different agents perceive for participating in the community project. To this end, initial results are gathered in three discussion groups: adolescents who have a background on the organization (for at least 3 years) and high level of commitment related to a “projective type of participation” (Llena, Novella, Trilla, Noguera, Morata & Morell, 2015); their families and adult workers. Preliminary results of participant observation in the advisory group (22 hours) and assemblies (10 hours) of the community are also incorporated. Data analysis shows that there are three principal drivers to participate: the profile of the adolescents and their families, the relationships they established with the educational team and their awareness of learning. Regarding obstacles, there are other three aspects: participants’ lack of interest on the available opportunities, their stage of life and their expectations.