Mid Sweden University

Purpose

The practical approaches to pursuing youth health and wellbeing are evolving with distinct approaches such as ‘co-creation’ and ‘health promotion’ gaining traction. However, there is also a critique arguing the need for radically attending to more relational approaches advocating for ‘relational welfare’ which put focus on the relationships between the youth and the welfare state. The relational conception of wellbeing also stresses the importance of non-human relating, acknowledging that human wellbeing is deeply interrelated to, and possible only within, healthy ecosystems and a living planet. 

The critique then proposes a shift towards relations of mattering and regeneration, from just reducing harm and sickness to focus on co-creating what is conducive to life, empowers, makes life meaningful, and worth living. The concept of “right relationship”, central to many indigenous cultures, might be an inspiration and appropriate term for this ideal of relating. It is a way of talking about living in a sustainable, loving or caring way with all living beings. But what does “right relationship” mean when co-creating youth wellbeing, exactly, and how might we design for it and cultivate it in practice?   

The purpose of this paper is to explore how a relational perspective on wellbeing and welfare can enrich the understanding of, and reveal new potentials for improving, youth involvement.  

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on an exploratory qualitative study of youth involvement in a Swedish Municipality. The main data source is interviews with politicians and civil servants in connection to an annual co-creative youth involvement event called the Democracy Day.

Findings

As a result, the paper presents a set-up of design questions that may inform and spark the improvement and facilitation of events relating to the health and wellbeing of the youth, into a new paradigm of relational welfare. In addition, it discusses the current event design of the studied Democracy Day event in relation to those questions to highlight potential for improvement.  

Originality/value

The insights and practices in this paper could be seen as a contribution towards radically attending to more relational approaches advocating for ‘relational welfare’ which put focus on the relationships between the youth and the welfare state as well as the “wellbeing ecosystem” as a living system.