Abstract

This study investigates contemporary political interventions, conflicts, and negotiations related to the orientation, implementation, target groups and content of youth work (§11 SGB VIII). The starting point are questions and controversies that can currently be observed in numerous places nationwide and with increasing explosiveness. These disputes are closely linked to the growing influence and actions of authoritarian and extreme right-wing political parties. However, an exclusive focus on far-right interventions is insufficient, as the efficacy and limitations of these strategies are shaped by their interaction with other political and administrative stakeholders. A central role in this dynamic is played by local spaces and their specific constellations.

Building on this premise, the study examines the interplay between political parties, local authorities, public administrations, and professional practitioners within the field of youth work, which serves as a key domain of civic and democratic education. The aim is to generate a nuanced understanding of the structural conditions, conflict dynamics, and consequences of these interactions, as well as the strategies employed to defend democratic spaces and practices. The study focuses on the following research questions: 1) What constellations and dynamics of political interventions and regulations can be identified in the examined local contexts? 2) What „scripts of the normal“—i.e., political, discursive, and funding-related shifts and consolidations—can be observed in these local settings? 3) What factors explain local variations in the positioning and strategic approaches of political and administrative actors?

The study is conducted in eight local areas across Germany, including medium-sized and small towns and urban districts as well as rural regions in Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The studies are based on a qualitative mix of methods consisting of document analysis, participant observation (e.g. in local parliaments, youth welfare committees and other bodies), interviews and background discussions (primarily with local politicians and stakeholders from authorities and administration).

The project aims to generate initial empirical insights within the seven-month research period, identify urgent needs, and make findings accessible to both academic and professional audiences. Beyond documenting shifts in youth policy strategies and realities in the context of authoritarian societal developments, the study seeks to contribute to the discourse on reconfiguring democratic youth work policies and shaping socio-political realities.

In line with a science-practice transformation approach, the project is conducted in cooperation with professional organizations, including the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Offene Kinder- und Jugendarbeit, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Jugendfreizeitstätten Sachsen, and Fachverband Jugendarbeit/Jugendsozialarbeit Brandenburg. Research findings will be disseminated through a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal, as well as through presentations at youth work, social pedagogy, and sociology conferences.