Previous studies show that social and political participation among immigrant youth in Finland is
weak. Participation can be especially challenging in reception centers, where the activities of the
residents are highly restricted. Reception centers can legitimately be defined as “waiting-rooms” to
enter society, or to be deported. There are no proper integration programs for asylum seekers; not
all of the children even attend school. In this paper I discuss the possibilities of social participation and inclusion of unaccompanied asylum seeker adolescents (12-17 years) living in a Finnish reception center.

The main research questions of this paper are:

1.    How it is possible to support young people living in the context of a reception center towards social inclusion and social participation?
2.    How do the adolescents in the reception center see social participation and social inclusion?

Fragile developmental phase of the adolescents, as well as lack of parental care, emphasize the importance of reception center as an institution of non-formal education. Education being one of the three main tasks of reception centers with child asylum-seekers, I examine how the structural factors, and the views of the staff affect the educational practices towards youth participation. According to the Finnish Law (Aliens Act) asylum-seeker children should be treated primarily as children, secondarily as asylum-seekers. Still, previous studies show that immigrant children and adolescents, especially those living in reception centers, have more challenges in achieving participation in the society. Due to this I argue it is important to define participation in a culturally sensitive way, which is one of the aims of my research.

Theoretical framework of the study comprises critical pedagogy, intercultural pedagogy and youth research. The data are collected during a participatory action research project, including ideas from socio-cultural animation. In our project the adolescents of the reception center were offered an opportunity to plan activities they thought would be meaningful for them. As a result, a 3-day trip with different activities (such as student-led workshops of beauty care and baking) was carried out. My data consists of interviews of the adolescents and reception center workers, analysis (in co-operation with the adolescents and the workers) of our project, and my observations. 

Arnstein, S. (1969) A ladder of citizen participation. American Institute of Planner’s Journal 35: 216—214. Cammarota, J. & Fine, M. (2008) (Eds.) Revolutionizing Education. Youth Participatory Action Research in Motion. New York: Routledge. Caselli, M. (2010) Integration, participation and identity. Immigrant associations in the province of Milan. International Migration 48/2, 58-78. Ellsworth, E. (1997) – Teaching Positions: Difference, Pedagogy, and the Power of Address New York, USA: Teachers College Press Fals-Borda, O. (1990) The application of Participatory-Action Research in Latin America. In Albrow, M. & King, E. (eds.) Globalization, Knowledge and Society: London: Sage. Francis, M. & Lorenzo, R. (2002) Seven realms of children’s participation. In Journal of Environmental Psychology, 22/2002. Freire, P. (1972) Pedagogy of the Opressed. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. Hart, R. (1997) Children’s Participation: The Theory and Practice of Involving Young Citizens in Community Development and Environmental Care. New York: UNICEF. Horst, H. Van Der (2004) Living in a reception centre: the search for home in an institutional setting. In Housing, Theory and Society 2004; 21. Lansdown, G. (2005) The Evolving Capacities of the Child, Florence: UNIVEF Innocenti Research Centre and Save the Children. McIntosh, P. (2010) Action Research and Reflective Practice. Creative and visual methods to facilitate reflection and learning. London and New York: Routledge. McTaggart, R. (2007.) Participatory Action Research. International Contexts and Consequences. New York: State University New York Press. Percy-Smith, B. and Thomas, N. (2011) (Eds.) A Handbook of Children and Young People’s Participation. Perspectives from theory and practice. London and New York: Routledge, Quintelier, E. (2009) The Political Participation of Immigrant Youth in Belgium. In Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies Vol. 35, No. 6, July 2009. Tosselli, S. & Gualdi-Russo, E. (2008) Psychosocial indicators and distress in immigrants living in Italian Reception Centres. In Stress and Health 24: 327–334 (2008). UNCRC (1989): United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF.