Becoming-with-others: Young people's aspirations for social change in the context of community

• Groups of young people attended workshops exploring aspirations for themselves and society. • Analysis of their discussions using the conceptual tools of hope, being-in-progress, and Othering, through the theories of Heidegger and Freire, demonstrated a dynamic interplay between capacity development and collective agency. • The discussion highlights the role of participatory dialogue in unlocking young people’s agency. In particular, how understanding young people as becoming-with-others may provide a catalyst for the development of collective becoming. Young people today are in a constant state of becoming, yet in an individualised world, their complex interactions with peers are often overlooked. This paper draws on the concepts of hope, being-in-progress, and Othering to illuminate the relational and collective aspects of young people’s agency and actions, challenging the individualised focus of previous research into youth aspirations. This paper examines the aspirations and sense of agency for societal change of 80 students aged 12 to 15 across three Australian schools (rural, semi-rural, and urban). Examining these schools as a microcosm of society, this research examines the reciprocal relationship between young people and their school environments, highlighting its effect on young people’s engagement with social change. Workshops combining individual reflection and collective dialogue enabled participants to explore how they might collaboratively enact societal change, offering insights into their sense of agency and strategies for navigating challenges. Findings reveal that young people's aspirations for societal change are inseparable from their conceptualisations of society, their relationships with others, and their evolving sense of self. This dynamic interplay between identity formation and collective agency drives societal change and is explored using a unique theoretical dialogue between hope, being-in-progress, and Othering. This paper argues cultivating participatory cultures within the school community can support both collective agency and individual identity formation, offering fresh insights for educators and policymakers to nurture young people's agency and support youth-led initiatives in their local and global communities.