There have been several attempts over at least the last 100 years to bring children’s opinions into the public sphere but none have succeeded. Despite the direct impact public policies have on young people their positions are rarely recognized. From this point of arrival, this essay discusses a material understanding of children’s unfreedoms, recommends ways to increase their inclusion in public deliberative processes, and explains the importance of children’s political participation in the local communities where they live. Throughout this discussion, global functional and structural weaknesses linger and weave in and out of our understanding of children’s prolonged unfreedoms. As we think about and act on moving children’s opinions into the public sphere, diversity and community become authentically realized, and more equitable and inclusive norms and values become the prize of local political decision
There have been several attempts over at least the last 100 years to bring children’s opinions into the public sphere but none have succeeded. Despite the direct impact public policies have on young people their positions are rarely recognized. From this point of arrival, this essay discusses a material understanding of children’s unfreedoms, recommends ways to increase their inclusion in public deliberative processes, and explains the importance of children’s political participation in the local communities where they live. Throughout this discussion, global functional and structural weaknesses linger and weave in and out of our understanding of children’s prolonged unfreedoms. As we think about and act on moving children’s opinions into the public sphere, diversity and community become authentically realized, and more equitable and inclusive norms and values become the prize of local political decision