Citizen Social Science

Citizen Social Science: YouCount (2021-2024)

YouCount focused on social inclusion understood as equal opportunities for youth participation in society. The work elucidated social participation, connectedness, and social belonging. Through multiple case studies – consisting of nine co-creative Youth Citizen Social Science projects across Europe – positive drivers for social inclusion were identified and new knowledge about participation, belonging, and citizenship was investigated. https://www.youcountproject.eu/

Based in Preston, but with important sysnergies with the Westlakes Research cluster. Suzanne Wilson, supported by Julian Manley and University of Lancashire colleagues and young citizen researchers, developed a work strand that benefitted from previous knowledge generated by the Westlakes research which in turn was recipient to the added value provided by the YouCount project. Suzanne was the UK lead in the development of a pilot of an App as an original and innovative tool to engage young people in citizen social science and led in the evaluation of the project, as well as contributing to the training programme developed for young citizen social scientists.

Outputs and Impact:

Events

YouCount Final Conference: Monday 4^th and Tuesday 5^th December 2023, Nordic House and Hotel Berlaymont, Brussels, Belguim.
YouCount UK National Workshop: Thursday 7^th September 2023, University of Lancashire, Preston, UK.

Publications

Brattbakk, et al., (2024). Using Digital Tools in Citizen Social Science. In Borgström, et al., (Eds.). (2024). Handbook of Youth Citizen Social Science. Working with Young People and the Local Community for Social Change (pp. 88-103). Zenodo.
Lorenz, U. et al., (2024). Youth Citizen Social Science as a Pathway for Youth Social Inclusion, Policy Brief.
Ridley, et al., (2023) YouCount UK Social Inclusion Research Summary: Is Preston A Place to Belong, Project Report.

Public Value

YouCount generated public value on international and local levels. It has provided an international portfolio of evidence demonstrating the value of youth citizen social science in developing innovatie solution for social inclusion. Locally, young people in Preston have driven new practices to promote a sense of belonging, such as the introduction of street lights in highlgihed areas, and are currently informing the development of Preston’s new Youth Zone.

Involvement in the project had a direct impact on the work done in Cumbria. It has provided me with invaluable experience in how citizen social science can be used to enhance the methodologies currently used when engaging with communities (for example, using mobile phone Apps and facilitating ‘Living Labs’). It has also provided opportunities to extend professional networks, raising the profile of the work conducted in Cumbria internationally.