Online Tutoring on Australian Youth
Self Identity
Self identity and self concept are two different terms but are related. Self identity means the recognition of one’s potential and qualities as an individual (Oxford Dictionary). On the other hand, self-concept can be defined as “the idea that you have about the kind of person you are” (Merriam Webster).Socialization and culture is what makes a person’s identity; how we see ourselves, how others see us, our hobbies, our profession all these factors are identity markers. However our identity is partly imposed on us by culture. The way we speak also is identity marker; this tells other so many things; where we come from and what state of mind we are in. We define our identity always in dialog with the things our significant others want to see in us (Taylor & Gutmann, 1994).
For the study of youth identity, the ways in which different groups engage in different strategies of assimilation, differentiation and hybridity has particular significance; because for youth identity is a volatile process. A certain percentage of youth suffers from identity crisis as well. Many of young people are unsure of their role in their own life; they feel they do not know themselves. An identity crisis is a time of intensive analysis and exploration of different ways of looking at oneself (Erikson, 1968). But if we look at the bigger picture we would conclude the much bigger percentage of youth in today’s age is confident, bold and very much sure of its identity.
Australian Youth
For a country as big as Australia there are many societies that have different cultural, moral and religious values. So the youth of Australia also behave in a certain way and that could differ from one individual to another according to his/her own maturity, upbringing and education.
Today’s youth of Australia is strong headed and knows what they want from their life. They are aware of their rights and try their utmost best to protect them. If and when their rights are violated they do not hesitate in taking matters to the court. Australian government has courts especially for youth and they (unlike their elders) do not hesitate in filing a case against any crime. They have laws against sexting, human trafficking, rape and theft. Young people are fairly culturally and linguistically diverse. Most of them speak English in their accent and are very comfortable when some foreigner speaks to them in their own accent. They take pride in their language and do not hesitate while speaking English with Australian influence. Australian youth are confident in their being and they see themselves nothing less than Americans or Britain in any field.
Australian youth is too very much technology addict much like young people all around the world. They too come in the category iY generation. iY generation is the generation of the children that were born in 1990’s or post 1990’s. Their ways towards life are very different from other generations (Moore).
Youth Work
Youth work, as the title states, is the practice that place young people and their interest first. It is a practice that facilitates a young person’s independence, participation in society and realization of their rights. Youth work also respect the right of young peoples’ privacy and confidentiality. They realize that complete confidentiality is not possible though so they try to communicate and clarify about the limitations.
Youth in the eyes of Media
The portrayal of youth in Australian media is relatively bad. They are usually shown as teenagers or young people who only think about themselves; do not work hard, have no ambition and their lives are controlled by technology. Most of the Australian TV series have a character or two of this same kind. According to a recent Swedish and Australian research for young people, portable communication devices are becoming omnipresent and penetrating; these devices are providing them a kind of temporary escape from reality (Cahir & Werener, 2013).
Youth Council
Youth Council of Australia recognizes young Australians who have made remarkable contributions to their local community. For this purpose the council offers a range of programs. Their motto is that they exist to connect, inspire and motivate the next generation of Australian youth.
Programs offered by Youth Council
Youth Council offers different programs so that youth can take advantage according to their interest. One of their programs is “Young People Creating Change Training Toolkit”. It enables youth to describe some of the barriers they face while sharing their views and creating change and thus they suggest solutions too. They give training by interactive and experiential approach to learning where youth explore and share their stories and experiences.
Youth Workers
Youth workers leave no stone unturned in providing young people’s’ rights and the assurity that if anything is done while respecting laws and other people’s’ right they would not be harmed. A youth worker focuses on the strength, interests and knowledge of a person. He does not view a person merely through diagnosis, pathology and labels. He does not direct, order or dictates but reason and dialogue with the person and ultimately it is always the person who decides for his/her life. Youth workers are playing their part in bringing the positive changes in Australian society and thus their efforts plays an important role in the country’s progress.
Challenges and Rewards of Youth Workers
Youth workers work with indigenous communities that include communities in the remote areas. They work with mentally challenged people, with young women; who mostly are the victims of sexual abuse and violence; they provide accommodation to homeless youth and help them to get decent jobs (Australian Clearing House for Youth Studies). For this they work day and night without taking much care of their own health. The biggest challenge is to do so many jobs in a limited budget. Youth work is categorized in different sectors so they are not all covered by the same awards. There is an award for Social, Community, Home Care, and Disability Industry Award. The other one is for youth workers employed in local governments and is called Local Authorities Award (Youth Affair Council Victoria).
Comparison
Language is good for demonstrating the double edged nature of social life (Gidden, 1987) According to Beassant and Watts (2007), language defines of much what we can say, think and feel. The new multicultural identity of Australia can be identified by the language used by young people. For example, Ethnolects, “Lebspeak”, is a variety of Australian English that utilize lexemes from Arabic and is used daily by Australian teenagers of Lebanese descent (English Works) Identity is fluid and changeable (Bessant and Watt, 2007), for example, a person can change the religion or can get the nationality of some other country and thus his/her social identity would be changed.
Conclusions
The main concern of the youth worker is well-being of the fellow young people in regard of mental and physical health and in financial aspect. For this purpose, a youth worker creates different programs so that the younger generation can come forward and work hard in making Australia a better place to live in.
References
Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies (ACYS), Available at:
Bessant, J., and Watts, R. (2007) Sociology Australia, Allen & Unwin, pp. 135-156
Cahir, J. and Werener, A. (2013) Escaping the everyday: Young people’s use of text messages and songs, Youth Studies Australia
Erikson, E. H. (1968) Identity: youth and crisis. New York: W. W. Norton Company.
Gidden, A. (1987) ‘Structuralism, post-structuralism and the production of culture’ in Giddens, A., Turner, J. (eds) Social Theory Today, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 195-223.
Language reflects the identity of youth, Available at:
http://www.englishworks.com.au/language-reflects-identity-youth/
Merriam Webster, Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-concept
Oxford Dictionaries, Available at:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/self-identity
Richard Moore, Who is generation Y and iY?, Available at:
http://www.tccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Who-is-gen-Y-and-iY.pdf
Taylor, C., and Gutmann, A. (1994) Multiculturalism: Examining the Politics of Recognition. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Youth Affair Council Victoria, Available at:
http://www.yacvic.org.au/sector-info/studying-youth-work/2-uncategorised/337-how-do-i-become-a-youth-wo
