Rethinking youth work

Samenvatting

As youth welfare provisions in the Netherlands are increasingly pushed towards a long-envisioned social pedagogical perspective, the role of youth workers in schools is being actively recalibrated. This article explores what is needed from youth workers in primary education to support this transformation. Through an exploratory qualitative approach, this study examined the role and tasks of youth workers in Dutch primary education in relation to normalisation and intergenerational (un)fairness. Based on interviews with youth workers, teachers and supporting staff, this article describes the opportunities, challenges and threats for youth workers in schools. The results suggest that youth workers can be the carriers of a social pedagogical perspective in primary education by making children’s voices heard, raising and promoting the interests and rights of children, and by acting as a pedagogical pivot in different areas of children’s lives.