| dc.description.abstract | Despite growing emphasis on youth participation in democratic processes, this is mainly on
formal participation (like voting or party membership). Little is known about what enables
meaningful organizational youth participation, which is the more active involvement of
young people in decision-making processes. This thesis investigates which combinations of
demographic, institutional, and contextual factors lead to meaningful organizational youth
participation in local youth initiatives in the Netherlands, taking the Local Collective network
as a case study Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Hart’s Ladder of Youth
Participation, the study defines meaningful participation as youth having real influence in
decision-making processes while experiencing autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Data were collected through online surveys completed by 20 youth initiatives in the Local
Collective network, with each initiative reporting on its participatory experience as a group.
Subsequently, this data was combined with existing municipal statistics on urbanization and
unemployment. Using fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), the study finds
that municipal support – specifically, a helpful contact person – is a necessary condition for
meaningful participation. However, no other factor alone was decisive. For both the presence
and absence of meaningful youth participation, different combinations of conditions – such as
age, education, gender diversity, funding, and context – emerged. Interestingly, some groups
achieved meaningful youth participation despite challenges, while others with more resources
struggled when municipal support was missing. These findings reveal the complex, context-
dependent nature of youth participation and underscore the value of fsQCA in this field.
Practical insights are offered for developing more meaningful local youth participation. | |
