Conclusion Empowerment Revisited: Critical Reflections across Research, Policy and Practice

In this concluding chapter, we discuss the findings and insights presented throughout this book. More specifically, we reflect critically on the focus on ‘empowerment’ in research, media discourses, policy and practices. We do so by exploring the rationale of the book and the relevance of studying the concept of ‘empowerment’, especially in interaction with gender, inclusion and migrant integration. Hence, we discuss how this concept emerged in different ways in the chapters included in this book. Finally, we reflect on what we can learn from this in the future, rethinking how these research findings could impact future policies and practices in civil society organisations.