Recognition in Pedagogical Practice With Young People as a Prerequisite for Well-Being in Youth

Drawing on critical psychological methodology and theory, this article explores how pedagogical practices in youth clubs provide young people with opportunities to navigate diverse expectations and demands across their everyday contexts, offering a supportive environment free from societal pressures such as academic performance. Furthermore, the article incorporates Axel Honneth’s concept of recognition and explores how recognition emerges in the pedagogical practices of youth clubs, contributing to young people’s experiences of well-being. Based on empirical material from interviews and observations in three Danish youth clubs, the findings highlight how pedagogical practices in youth clubs have the potential to play a significant role in fostering young people’s experiences of recognition within the key spheres of recognition identified by Honneth: love, social appreciation, and solidarity. This article underscores the potential of youth clubs to counteract performance-driven societal norms and enhance young people’s experiences of well-being.