Working with Young People is designed to help you develop the knowledge and skills you need for supporting young people as they learn about themselves, others and society and prepare for the transition to adulthood. It introduces the fundamental concepts and issues that lie at the heart of contemporary work with young people and challenges you to think deeply about:

- the social context of young people
- values and principles that underpin practice
- the variety of settings in which practice takes place, and

- the importance of informal learning in the lives of young people.
Whether you are a new student or returning to study, Working with Young Poeple provides a stimulating introduction and a foundation for further study.

Sheila Curran is Senior Lecturer at The Open University.
Roger Harrison is Senior Lecturer at The Open University.
Donald Mackinnon is Lecturer at The Open University.

PART ONE: YOUNG PEOPLE IN SOCIETY
Policy, Practice and Research in Work with Young People - Jason Wood and Jean Hine
Youth as a Social Construction - Mary Jane Kehily
Trouble and Tribes: Young People and Community - Jeremy Brent
Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood: Implications for Policy and Practice - Aniela Wenham
What Does the ¿Teen Brain¿ Research Say, and What Does it Mean for Practitioners? - Howard Sercombe and Tomas Paus
Youth Work in a Cold Climate - Tom Wylie
PART TWO: THE NATURE OF WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
Defining Good Youth Work - Gina Ingram and Jean Harris
Every Day is Different - Jean Spence and Carol Devanney
Helping: Definitions and Purposes - Hazel L. Reid and Alison J. Fielding
Informal Learning in Youth Work: Times, People and Places - Janet Batsleer
Thinking Ethically - Howard Sercombe
A Social Theory of Learning - Etienne Wenger
PART THREE: THE PRACTICES OF WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
Crossing the Boundaries? Working Informally in Formal Settings - Sheila Curran and Tyrrell Golding
Enhancing Young People¿s Participation - Kate Sapin
Developing Generative Themes for Community Action - Dave Beck and Rod Purcell
Working with Groups of Young People - Jane Westergaard
Youth Work in a Digital Age - Jane Melvin
Faith-based Youth Work - Lessons from the Christian Sector - Naomi Stanton
Supervision as a Youth Work Tool - Liesl Conradie