Fieldwork spotlight – Young person-led workshop at Co-op Academy
Students from Co-op Academy in Leeds, UK, took part in a series of 10 workshops from September to December 2024, facilitated by Matthew Elliott and Ethel Maqeda.
The fifth session was shaped by the young people themselves, following their request to focus on relationships.
Conversations
The session welcomed guest Jane Plastow, with an opening warm‑up game designed to help participants feel confident engaging with a new adult in the room. This was followed by a Q&A, where young people asked Jane interview‑style questions about her life, including family, ethnicity and relationships.
These conversations led to thoughtful discussion, revealing some underlying conservative views around marriage and family structures, particularly among the girls.
Exploring prompts
The group then worked in small teams to explore the prompts “Love is…” and “Love is not…”, brainstorming words and ideas to define healthy and unhealthy relationships. Building on this, participants created “recipes for romance,” breaking relationships down into ingredients and instructions.
One participant shared a dating guide rooted in social‑media‑led connections, starting with online chatting and often developing into a “situationship” before a formal relationship. Many young people resonated with this experience, highlighting how central digital communication is to modern relationships.
Discussions
Discussions varied by gender: girls were generally confident and open, while boys were more reserved.
Key themes included truth, loyalty and money, with differing views on whether financial stability or simply “having enough” matters most. Romance was not widely prioritised, with one girl describing herself as “old fashioned” for valuing it, while one boy group highlighted fun and shared experiences.
Creative writing
The session concluded with individual creative writing inspired by the question “How can someone love you well?”. Girls tended towards romantic poetry, while boys shared short raps.
While some were hesitant to share their work aloud, the activity offered valuable insight into individual perspectives and highlighted opportunities for future sessions to explore communication across genders in more depth.
Read about other aspects of our research in the United Kingdom.