A new research centre which aims to challenge the negative way in which young people are viewed is being launched in Manchester.
The Manchester Centre for Youth Studies, at Manchester Metropolitan University, will launch on June 26th with a one day free event looking at historical and contemporary issues affecting young people.
Issues covered will include crime, employment, disability, education, race and gender, and speakers include Helen Donohoe, Director of Policy and Research at Action for Children, Tony Lloyd Greater Manchester’s Police Crime Commissioner and Sufyia Ahmed author of The Henna Girl.
Writer, broadcaster and DJ Dave Haslam will chair an interactive question and answer panel.
The aim of the centre is to tackle perceptions of young people by comparing and contrasting trends regionally, nationally and internationally in a variety of contexts, and is also committed to developing close links with national and local organisations.
The launch will help people to engage in a dialogue about how a new inter-disciplinary research centre can best address the challenges facing young people today.
Dr Hannah Smithson, Co-Director of the Centre said: “The team at the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies are very excited at the prospect of hosting this event. It will bring together a diverse group of people to exchange ideas and encourage opportunities to develop new approaches to historical and contemporary understandings of youth.
“We are very pleased that young people are going to be part of the day, we have a large number of secondary school students attending. It is vital that young people are involved in discussions about the issues that affect them.”
