Youth participation in public policy formulation : a case study of the children and youth council of Thailand | |
| Author | Nada Weayusoh |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.DS-23-01 |
| Subject(s) | Youth--Social networks--Thailand--Case studies Social participation--Thailand |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Development and Sustainability |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Rights of participation are basic rights for all mankind, women and men, black and white, or young and adult. However, there are many obstacles that hamper the ability of some groups of people to be counted, especially young people. To evaluate the effectiveness of participation in youth institutions, the aforesaid theory requires an extensive research network in the particular field of study. However, there has been no recommendation or observation built on this theoretical framework and field of interest so far in Thailand. This research examined the situation, obstacles, and key facilitation of the children and youth council (CYC) of Thailand as a means of officially and legally involving young Thai people in public policy formulation, and explored why the council tended to fail to achieve their own accountability as youth representation at the national level such as in the national children and youth development plan. The overall objective of this study is to find out what drives the CYC’s involvement in the national children and youth development plan in Thailand. The specific objectives are 1) to assess the extent of the CYC’s involvement in public policy formulation on the national children and youth development plan, 2) to explore the obstacles to the CYC as a youth representative in public policy formulation, 3) to identify the key facilitating factors for the CYC’s involvement in the 4-year National Children and Youth Development Plan. The research employed mixed methods. The quantitative method sought to identify the level of children and youth participation in scientific and statistical manners, while the qualitative component sought to explain intangible factors such as personal experiences or attitude. The online survey was conducted with 380 representatives of the local councils in order to find out the individual experience with the council and experience as the council; plus, a focus group discussion with four representatives at the local level, and nine key informant interviews. The primary data from online survey was analyzed by using frequency distribution and logistic regression, while the primary data from focus group and key informants’ interview were analyzed by content analysis and PESTEL. Findings from both the qualitative and quantitative analyses were integrated with the triangulation method to ensure the robustness of the results. The result found that personal experience participating in social and political aspects remains a constraint after the arrest and prosecution of the so-called "Free Youth" group in 2020–2021, stressing a tighter scope of work for the children and youth in the council. This kind of situation sustains adults’ intervention in children’s and youth’s activities and, on the other hand, cause a negative impact on youth’s initiatives, as well as participation patterns under the CYC’s scheme in the long run. Hence, to promote youth to become active citizens, it is imperative that their positive participation experiences, both in social and political aspects, be ensured. The surrounding environment was another crucial factor contributing to the developmental stages between youth and active citizens who participate meaningfully in society. The study discovered that the ecosystem of children and youth participation in the CYC is more likely to be "Learning Promotion" than "Participating Promotion" Likewise, when it comes to the social level, the roles of children and youth are limited to obeying rather than participating as one of the stakeholders, which has been reiterated throughout the education and social reactions with adults outside their family. Raising social awareness of the importance of youth participation as active stakeholders in their society is imperative to promote children’s and youth’s participation at the policy level. To achieve that, everybody in society must adjust their mindset, while concerned parties must change their way of working accordingly. Likewise, the policies board meeting atmosphere should be less serious and review youths' role as something more than mere symbols. Lastly, if the laws and regulations concerning children and youth participation be amended according to children and youth’s needs, the aggregation under the CYC will be able to strengthen the work of their fellows. Moreover, most CYC members are male, and the representatives of children and youth are involved in policymaking; thus, boys with higher education will have the highest chance. Consequently, the "Children and Youth Council" portrays as an unfruitful organisation that does not have enough bargaining power to participate in the policy-making process to represent the interest group, children and youth, to protect and negotiate their requirements. To promote the children and youth council to be an effective youth representative in policy processes four concepts are recommended from this: to promote positive personal rights, to construct safe environments, to create a solid relationship, and to exercise the representative’s power. These four must be conducted continuously from capacity building to a system change in order to reconstruct the society, and adults should have a positive mindset and create a supportive environment for children and youth participation. |
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Development and Sustainability (DS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Tsusaka, Takuji W. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Vilas Nitivattananon;Santoso, Djoen San |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Her Majesty the Queen’s Scholarships (Thailand) |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023 |