FAC Working Paper 32. Young People and Policy Narratives in sub -Saharan Africa
Abstract
This paper is about the portrayal of youth in policy documentation in sub-Saharan Africa. Historically, young people鈥檚 engagement with policy and the array of institutions that affect their lives can be characterised by two broad, interacting themes: marginalisation and mobilisation. Marginalisation is associated with deeply rooted tendencies to defer to age in 鈥榞erontocratic鈥� societies (see, for example, Harris 2004), leaving young people outside circles of power, or lacking in 鈥榲oice鈥� (see also te Lintelo 2011). This can lead to youth disaffection, which may either catalyse young people to mobilise, or make them a fertile recruiting ground for the political projects of others (e.g. Peters et al 2003; Peters and Richards 1998; Richards 1995). Thus, mobilisation can be seen to be, at least in part, a consequence of isolation and disempowerment. These themes are evident, to varying degrees, in each of five study countries we focus on in this paper: Ethiopia; Ghana; Kenya; Malawi; and Senegal. It is based on a review of key national policy documents and other formal policy documentation in the five countries. The review sought to discover how rural youth and youth-related issues are portrayed. Major policy domains were considered including: agriculture and rural development; education; health; employment; economic development; crime and security; natural resource management; and climate change. The analysis focused on the visibility of young people within the policy domain; the content of policy frames and narratives on young people; and linkages between youth and agriculture.
Citation
Anyidoho, N.A.; Kayuni, H.; Ndungu, J.; Leavy, J.; Sall, M.; Tadele, G.; Sumberg, J. FAC Working Paper 32. Young People and Policy Narratives in sub -Saharan Africa. Future Agricultures Consortium, Brighton, UK (2012) 16 pp.
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