This article discusses the possibilities and the challenges of conducting participatory action research (PAR) with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and youth. Drawing from a PAR project with 12 unaccompanied asylumseeking girls in a Finnish reception centre, the paper explores the P, A and R of PAR asking the following questions: what kind of participation is relevant in such a challenging phase of life, being in a new society without families; what is ‘good’ action in these circumstances; and, finally, what is the involvement of the children in conducting the research when they find the practical end product clearly more interesting? The results show that as a flexible and child-centred research method, PAR can be used to promote the participation of children and youth in a reception centre. However, participation in research should not be mandatory: unaccompanied children who have often had too many responsibilities and inadequate protection in the past desire to be assured that it is the adults’ responsibility to make the right decisions concerning the improvements of the children’s lives.
The management of volunteers – What can human resources do? A review and research agenda
There is an increasing interest from scholars and practitioners in understanding how non-profit organizations can design and implement human resources (HR) practices to enhance desirable volunteer attitudes and behaviors. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of existing studies on the relationship between HR practices and volunteering outcomes. We use the ability-motivation-opportunity model as a guiding…