Some Aspects of Empowerment: A Case Study of Work with Disadvantaged Youth

Based on a case study of a youth action group located in an impoverished neighborhood in West Belfast, Northern Ireland, negotiations between an agency worker, his supervisors, & a group of disadvantaged young people with regard to the appointment of a new agency worker are described. Following background information on the actors & the agency, various aspects of the empowerment process are analyzed using a simple four-quadrant power/acceptability grid. It is suggested that, relative to the youth group's daily experience of disadvantage, the exercise is a minor experience in empowerment. However, whenever social action group workers apply the power of their skills to ensure opportunities for choices to less powerful users, empowerment ceases to be rhetoric & becomes a means to promote human dignity & democracy. 5 Figures, 12 References. Adapted from the source document.