This article explores the contribution that can be made by philosophy of hope as a theoretical tool for youth studies. The language of hope is powerful – not only in people's everyday discourses but also in education, counselling and youth work. When working with youth who are marginalized or disadvantaged, hope can be a crucial resource. For example, teaching is sometimes seen as a ‘discipline of hope’. At first this sounds uplifting, even inspirational. But the use of hope in such discourses all too often remains without much analysis of what hope means and how it may be applied. This article aims to offer a beginning for both. First, I will provide an overview of theories of hope from various paradigms. Drawing on several of these, I argue for a conceptualization of hope as robust, sound and attainable. Second, I explore what this might mean in practice for teachers and others working with marginalized youth, and I propose four resources for applying philosophy of hope: a positive culture, a focus on possibility, a community of hope, and critical reflection.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	schooling, theory, marginalized youth, hope
Research Division:	Education
Research Group:	Specialist studies in education
Research Field:	Specialist studies in education not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Education and Training
Objective Group:	Schools and learning environments
Objective Field:	Equity and access to education
UTAS Author:	te Riele, K (Professor Kitty te Riele)
ID Code:	113836
Year Published:	2010
Web of Science® Times Cited:	22
Deposited By:	Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment
Deposited On:	2017-01-24
Last Modified:	2017-04-20
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