Checkoway, B. and Gutierrez, M.L., 2006. Youth Participation and Community Change. New York, Routledge.
This is a very informative book that not only talks of the benefits that the youth get from participation in the community but also the positive changes that can be accrued from their participation in the various community activities. The authors provide a wide view of the topic giving various opinions and perceptions from different researches from which we can get the different ways that the youths can be drawn to participate positively in various organizations and community activities.
This book is very useful in regard to understanding this topic as it provides a wide range of aspects in regard to youth participation in the society today and even in the future including their roles, the benefits involved among others. Some of the strategies brought out by the authors include engaging the youths in carrying out community based research and evaluation which will benefit them in terms of pay as well as benefiting the community through the adoption of strategies meant to make them better based on the information attained from the research.
The book does not however show the difference between the actively participative youths and those that are not but all in all it gives enough information for this research.
Sherrod, R.L., Torney-Purta, J., and Flanagan, A.C., 2007. Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth. New Jersey, John Wiley and Sons.
The authors; Sherrod, Torney-Purta and Flanagan have done a good job in bringing out the various aspects of youth engagement in civic life. The scope of this book is relatively wide bringing in both international and multidisciplinary concepts in regard to the youths and participation in the society. The aspects are covered through subdivision into distinct sections covering concepts related to specific youth issues involved, how they are developed and how their effectiveness can be measured.
Its comprehensiveness makes it useful for research purpose on this topic and it will greatly help in providing evidence to arguments on empowering youth engagement in society. The limitation is that it focuses much on civic engagement which is more inclined to service learning rather than dwelling on all fields of work in the society where the youth could be engaged and benefit. I will therefore use the information in the book to supplement other sources but not as the main source.
Flores, S.K., 2008. Youth Participatory Evaluation: Strategies for Engaging Young People. San Francisco, John Wiley and Sons
This book covers much on youth empowerment and participation in the society. The author commences by giving an insight on the various works that can be entitled to the youths and the benefits accrued to it. She also gives some important information on how and why the concept of youth participation started and why it has been sustained to present hence helping us to connect the various aspects.
The book is very useful as it offers a step by step approach of the appropriate and effective strategies that can be adapted to engage young people in productive activities that are beneficial to them and the society at large including useful examples and recommendations. The main limitation is that the author focuses more on the process of engaging the youths but not much on the benefits. Nonetheless, this does not prove it less important for this research since it offers unique information not found in many sources.
Reference List
Checkoway, B. and Gutierrez, M.L., 2006. Youth Participation and Community Change. New York, Routledge.
Flores, S.K., 2008. Youth Participatory Evaluation: Strategies for Engaging Young People. San Francisco, John Wiley and Sons.
Sherrod, R.L., Torney-Purta, J., and Flanagan, A.C., 2007. Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth. New Jersey, John Wiley and Sons.