The New Youth Service Assemblage
Ian’s ESRC funded doctoral research investigated the production of youth work subjectivity and practice in the context of youth service policy following the election of the Coalition Government. Based on case-studies in ten sites of youth service provision across England, it analyses the effects of a new phase of ‘post-neoliberal’ policy making on the provision of services to marginalised young people. It argues that although there is continuity with neoliberal phases of policy making that have operated to disconnect youth services from communities and formalise interactions with young people, current policy is distinct in reforming local communities and their service providers as an opportunity for ‘social investment’, and in driving greater employment insecurity amongst workers. Each of these connected reforms have significant effects on occupational identity. The research utilises Deleuze & Guattari’s notion of the assemblage to develop education policy sociological perspectives with respect the relations of policy to institutional spaces and processes of subjectivation
Youth Unemployment
Ian has undertaken work for the University of Birmingham’s Public Service Academy, investigating approaches to youth unemployment and their effectiveness. This work supports the Public Service Academy’s contribution to research, policy and practice in a range of public service areas.