Childhood, Youthhood and Social Inclusion in the Construction of African Future Identities

Abstract

Besides placed at the margins of the public sphere and major political, socio-economic, and cultural processes, where their voices are rarely heard, African children and youth have many pressing development, health, education, economic and social needs that apparently stand on their way to positive, functional and productive future identities. Despite their critical value for future wellbeing, many of them still suffer minimal investments towards their healthy development, leaving them most of the time vulnerable. An argument around the construction of positive and productive futures in the continent becomes crucial in understanding African childhoods, adolescence and youth, and the perspectives and pathways that become key when young people transition to full adulthood. A major concern is the need for social inclusion in the policies, practices and frames of reference that characterise the context of child and youth development. This article profiles the way African childhood and youthhood are constructed, youth livelihoods and transition experiences, perspectives for flourishing and avoiding floundering as well as those for social inclusion and development policy orientations for African youth futures. The essence is to expand the theoretical position that childhood and adulthood are the today and tomorrow of any society, while youthhood is the bridge between them. And if childhood and youth are a mistake, then adulthood will be a struggle while old age will definitely be regretted. And that the lines etched in childhood and the years of adolescence and youth certainly draw the wrinkles of adulthood and ageing. A major conclusion is that major investments in children and youth as well as their social inclusion in the construction of their future identities is a profitable trajectory and pathway to positive and productive futures for today’s children and youth.

Keywords: childhood, youthhood, social inclusion, future identities, African future identities

DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/72-01

Publication date: January 31^st 2024