The book presents the findings of a comparative ethnographic study that captures the complexity of young people’s experiences and their interactions with adults. Conducted among seven Quebec civil society initiatives for democratic citizenship education sharing an approach to citizenship education (participatory democracy, social change, representative democracy and public action), the study looks at how young people make democracy their own, focusing on topics such as the defence of children’s rights, feminist social action, community movements, alter-globalization, and municipal and school public action.
This insightful social sciences study significantly enriches our understanding of young people’s civic engagement. The book identifies four lessons for encouraging democratic citizenship among young people: creating inclusive spaces, engaging young people in concrete action, promoting collective reflection and recognizing the crucial role of facilitators.
The work also documents and highlights the diverse formative experiences available to young people and the contribution of organizations to the vitality of democracy in Quebec. The study pushes back the geolinguistic and disciplinary boundaries often encountered in the study of youth engagement. The book, a free download, is aimed at a wide audience, including community stakeholders, researchers, students, political decision-makers and anyone interested in youth engagement and democratic citizenship education. An English translation of the book will be published on April 8, 2025, by the University of Ottawa Press.
This collaborative project has also produced other communication tools. Find out more about the study findings via the education and democracy platform behind the project, and listen to the CIRCEM podcast series produced while the book was being written to deepen reflection on the issues raised and support democratic citizenship education practices for young people in Quebec.
Stéphanie Gaudet is a full professor and director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Citizenship and Minorities (CIRCEM) at the Faculty of Social Sciences. She is an expert in social and political participation, particularly among young people, life trajectories and qualitative methodology. Her interests include citizenship education experiences in community and associative settings, in addition to social and political engagement pathways among young people. She has received several awards, including the Faculty of Social Sciences Excellence in Research Award and the uOttawa Knowledge Mobilization Excellence Award. Her work has been published in journals such as Lien social et Politiques, Local Environment, Anthropologie et sociétés and theJournal of Gender Studies.
Caroline Caron is a full professor with the Department of Social Sciences at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO). Her areas of expertise include youth, social inequalities, citizenship and gender. Her research focuses on social inequalities and citizenship, particularly among young people. She has been awarded the Prix d’excellence Christiane-Melançon en enseignement pour les professeurs and the Canada Prize. Her publications have appeared in journals including the Journal of Youth Studies, Approches inductives and Lien social et Politiques.
Sophie Théwissen-LeBlanc holds a Master’s degree in Women’s Studies from the Faculty of Social Sciences. Her master’s thesis focused on citizenship education for adolescent girls and young women in a Montreal-area feminist organization, the results of which were published in the journal Recherches féministes. She has contributed to several research projects on youth, gender, media and citizenship as a research assistant or professional.
Faire l’expérience de la démocratie is an insightful resource offering a rigorous analysis and a unique perspective, enriching our understanding of the issues and practices in this field. Its collaborative approach and accessible style make it an essential tool for subject-matter stakeholders.
The work aligns with a number of research priorities, particularly Faculty social justice, equity, social groups and inclusion priorities. The book highlights the essential role of civil society organizations in educating young people for democratic citizenship, alongside education in the home and at school.
To learn more about Professor Gaudet’s innovative work and discover more exciting social sciences research, visit the Collabzium. Also, learn more about research underway in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ottawa.