Everyday household counselling and education to support young people’s transition to adulthood
Keywords:
everyday life, young people, household counselling, skills, home economics education, social pedagogyAbstract
The transition periods of youth have been prolonged and complicated. Access to support and its timeliness are essential for the success of the transition period for young people living in vulnerable life situations. Support for young people has largely focused on promoting education and employment. However, the same attention has not been paid to the learning of everyday skills, such as self-care (clothing, hygiene, etc.) or financial skills. We are studying household counselling produced by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), which supports the everyday skills of young people in a vulnerable position through group activities and, consequently, their attachment to society. The research data consists of thematic interviews with household experts (n = 11). We analyse the views of household experts on how they build an understanding of everyday challenges by mapping out the living world of young people and responding to their need for support. The experts emphasised working together as well as modelling and peer learning. In group activities, they used pedagogical tools and contents typical of household education, such as food production, cleaning and consumption. Working with young people guides experts in their activities more strongly as educators in what can be termed everyday household education. Research builds an understanding of how this type of education teaches practical skills in support of young people’s transitions. Young people thus need practical support for their everyday lives through social pedagogy alongside other support services.
