SOCIAL ACTIVATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE STAFF OF INTERNATIONAL ACTIVATION PROGRAMMES

Abstract

The aim of this article is to introduce the topic of social and civic activation from the perspective of the experiences of staff carrying out activities in two international activation programmes. Implemented simultaneously in Poland and Norway and addressed to young people.

The use of a comparative approach in an international context allowed for a broader spectrum of analysis of the presented experiences. In turn, the reference to the environment of non-governmental organisations in which the studied staff is employed is an element enriching the knowledge of this still relatively under-researched professional group.

A contrasting comparison of the two activation projects, based on the experiences of the staff employed in them, indicates a number of similarities concerning, e.g. the range of activation concepts applied or the target image of young people to function better in the existing reality, despite the different identity of the target youth groups and their significant cultural and ethnic diversity in the studied organisations.

Differences relate to the overall socio-political environment and the long-term nature of the activation policy (in Norway) or lack thereof (in Poland), which, as a consequence, can either support or clearly impede the development of organisations and their activities.