1. Youth Innovation in Skåne
An Ethnographic Study
By I.Dimitrievski, M.Fraser Berndtsson,
R.Liepytė, M.Pumputytė, A.Steponavičiūtė

2.  Innovation stems from people. In order for the region to become the most
innovative in Europe by 2020, the citizens will need to become the most
innovative.
 The role of the government is to give the tools for innovation to new
generations. These tools need to be adjusted and fine-tuned to suit and
be usable for the new generations, if they are to be used.
 The aim of the project was to explore the creative and innovative
practices of youth in Skåne, to gain insights that may be used for
enhancing the innovative spirit in Skåne’s youth.

3. Why Applied Cultural Analysis?
 Applied cultural analysis provides us with a theoretical and
methodological framework to explore the often hidden logics of the
mundane.
 The ethnographic focus on routines and everyday events invites a dialogue
with the people on the ground.
 Our qualitative methodology allows us to pinpoint significant aspects that
quantitative methods often overlook – like lifestyles, everyday practices,
values, meanings, and the small details that build up the bigger picture.
 We bring various schools of thought together and combine them with
diverse ethnographic methods (fieldwork, participant and non-participant
observation, individual and group interviews, communicative group
activities and focus groups, visual documentation).

4. Environments:
Academic and vocational schools, NGO
and municipal run youth centers
Field sites:
Helsingborg, Lund, Östra Ljungby,
and Malmö (Rosengård)
Follow the youth –
diversity and inclusion

5. Innovators
We are all innovators, but nobody is born an innovator.
We need structured freedom and innovation network in order to establish an innovation
mode.
People become more developed as innovators through practice, practice, and more
practice.
While we practice, we need
 Scaffolding: mentors and peers bridge the gap between our skill level and what we
want to achieve. They help us, and by watching them do it, we learn to do it ourselves.
 Experience: as we achieve good results gradually undertaking more difficult and
realistic projects, we gain confidence and see greater possibilities ahead.

6. The evolution of the innovator
Beginner
Embodiedabilities
Scaffolding =
Mentors + peers
bridge the gap
between our
present skill-level
and our goals
Motivation
Experience of fun and
making a difference in
the world
Professional/
master

7. “If you don’t have the chance to communicate with
anyone, you can’t develop as a person or do
anything”.
Anna, 16
“Maybe when we are in the group we are inspiring
each other”.
Eva, youth worker
Innovation is a social phenomenon. It requires:
 Communication youth-to-youth, youth-to-parents, youth-to-teachers.
 Safe and comfortable environment conducive to good interpersonal
communication.
Interpersonal communication

8.  Emotional experiences
 Self-expression
 Interests and aspirations
 Making a difference
 Bringing a dream closer to reality
Motivation

9. Doing something new, acting creatively brings the reward
of positive emotional experiences – fun, excitement,
feelings of achievement.
Emotional experiences

10. Self-expression

11. Interests and aspirations
By doing things – by innovating – youth is involved in a life-
long project: to realize their hopes, interests, and aspirations.

12. Making a difference

13. Bringing a dream closer to reality
I like playing music, it’s my dream. And I
like showing people how I make it. Who
knows if I, like, get money. There was one
guy whose name is Fred. He’s on YouTube.
And he was like me. Like nothing. And now
he’s a millionaire.
Ismail

14. They innovate now to
open up possibilities in
the future.

15. 39
Scaffolding – bridging the gaps

16. IsmaIl and Per recording a song
41
Scaffolding step-by-step
From a lyric to a recorded song

17. Scaffolding over the long haul
From internship to street festival to youth consultants managing projects
and finding funding by themselves

18.  To have effective scaffolding, effective mentors are needed.
These are people like teachers, youth workers, and coaches.
 Mentoring is a juggling act. Mentors must balance:
 Helping youth and allowing them to do it by themselves
 Structure and freedom
 Encouragement and strictness
 Other factors
All these needs will differ from youth to youth, project to
project.
 Mentors need resources and support.
Scaffolding and mentors

19. Usefulness for more people
Changebeyondtheoriginal The evolution of innovation
More basic
E.g. Battery charger
a) Specifications provided
b) For personal use
Intermediate
E.g. Cookbook
a) Realization of own idea
b) Own design
c) Originally for use by family and friends, but
interest spread and more copies sold
More developed
E.g. Music CD
a) Independently realized project
from composition through production
b) For public consumption through radio
and sales of the CD

20. Innovation is a process which happens over
time and space:
long term development from childhood to
adulthood in diverse settings of everyday life

21. Innovation friendly
environment
(mindset, structure,
resources)
Motivation
(fun,
companionship,
make a change,
self-identity,
expression)
Mentors and
partners
(support, bridge
the gap between
present abilities
and goals)

22. Recommendations
 Approach youth innovation in the region from
the ground up
 Broaden the definition of innovation
 Be inclusive
 Remember the importance of the unquantifiable.
Feelings matter.

23. If you can only do one thing…
Policy
makers
Youth and youth
workers

24. Thank you
for your attention!