Dramatizing Deliberation: A Method for Encouraging Young People to Think About Their Rights

Abstract

Nine ‘youth juries’ were established across three major British cities – London, Leeds and Nottingham -, each comprising twelve 12-to-17 year-olds who were invited to act as ‘jurors’ with a view to ‘putting the Internet on trial’. This article outlines the method that was designed for conducting these juries, focusing upon two innovative features: the organisation of deliberative juries, based upon a four-step process for arriving at policy recommendations; and the use of dramatic scenarios, intended to make relatable to personal experience what might otherwise have been regarded as abstract policy principles.

Keywords

• Juries
• Rights
• Vignettes
• Drama
• Youth
• Deliberation