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ChangingspatialandtemporaldimensionsofyouthleisureinGlasgow

Dr.SusanA.BatchelorandDr.LisaWhittaker,UniversityofGlasgow

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Introduction•  Whatkindofleisureopportuni9esareavailableforyoungpeople?Inwhatspacesdotheseac9vi9estakeplace?Whendotheytakeplace?

•  Whatdoes‘leisure’meantoyoungpeople?Howcentralisleisuretotheirlives?Towhatextentdoesrisk,consumerism,andtechnologyfeatureinleisure?

•  Inwhatwaysisyoungpeople’sleisureshapedbydiversityandinequality?

•  Inwhatwayshasyouthleisurealteredsincethelate1960s?

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OurResearch

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(Re)ImaginingYouthDrSusanBatchelorandDrLisaWhiOaker,UniversityofGlasgowDrAlistairFraserandLeonaLi,UniversityofHongKong

•  Historical and cross-cultural comparison of youthleisureinScotlandandHongKong(ESRC-RGC)

•  Qualita9vecase-studydesign,revisi9ngonefieldsiteinScotland&onematchedfieldsiteinHongKong

•  Drawing on tradi9onal place-based methods whileretainingspiritofinnova9vemethodologies

•  Grounded study exploring theories of youth,globalisa9onandsocialchange

@imaginingyouthreimaginingyouth@gmail.com

hOp://reimaginingyouth.wordpress.com

TimeofOne’sOwn(JephcoO1967)

•  Sought to answer the ques9on ‘how do young Scotsusetheirfree3menowadays?’(1967:1)

•  Focus on 15 to 19-year-olds in 3 sites; Drumchapel,DennistounandArmadale(‘ordinary/typical’youth)

•  Variety of methods: individual interviews; groupdiscussions; ‘casual data’ from cafés, pubs, youthgroups;diaries;photographsandar9s9csketches

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(Re)VisitingDennistounInwhatwayshasyouthleisurealteredinDennistounsincethelate1960s?

Stage1:October2013-April2014•  Ethnographicobserva9onswithlocalyouth

organisa9ons•  Interviewswithkeystakeholders(n=9)

Stage2:May2014-January2015•  Focusgroups(12)withyoungpeople(n=70)•  Interviewswithyoungpeople(n=22)

Stage3:February2015-May2015•  Onlinesurveyreonline/socialmedia(n=100)

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Background

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GlasgowinaChangingWorld‘Globaleconomic,socialandpoliDcalrelaDonships…increasinglyshapethenatureofyouth…andthekindsofadulthoodthatare

possible’(WoodmanandWyn2014:18)

•  Declinefromglobalpowerhouseofshipbuildingandmanufacturing(‘SecondCityofEmpire’1875-1914)

•  ShiBtoservice-basedeconomy,revolvingaroundretail,leisureandtourism

YouthinanAgeofAusterity•  Sincestartoftheeconomicdownturn,youthunemployment

inScotlandhasrisenmorequicklythanforotheragegroups–  Unemploymentrateamong16to19yearoldsrosefrom17.9%in

2007/08to26.4%in2010/11–  Thefigurefor20to24yearoldsrosefrom8.9%to16%oversame

period

•  YoungpeopleinScotlandaremorelikelythanotheragegroupstobeinbothpart-3meandinsecureemployment–  Thepropor9onofemployed16to24year-oldswhowereinpart-9me

workrosefrom35.1%in2007/8to44.3%in2010/11–  16to24yearoldsmorelikelythanolderagegroupstobeinnon-

permanentemployment(12.6%versus20.4%of25to29yearolds,4.2%of30to49yearoldsand3.9%of50to64yearolds)

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TheDigitalRevolution•  Accelera9onoftechnologicalchangeindigitalrealm•  Prolifera9onofnewformsofdigitalcommunica9on•  Easytoaccessthroughhandhelddevices,any9meofdayornight•  Individualscangetsupportandfindotherlikemindedpeople,

regardlessoftheirgeographicalloca9on•  Individualscanchoosedifferentworkprac9ces,e.g.workingfrom

home,blurringtheboundariesbetweenworkandpersonallifeàAc3verefiguringofspaceand3me

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EmergingThemes

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‘SpaceTime’

•  Spaceand3me‘areintegraltooneanother’–  ‘dis9nct’but‘co-implicated’,–  ‘itisonbothofthem,necessarilytogether,thatreststhelivelinessoftheworld’(Massey2005:47,55,56)

•  SociallifepaKernedby‘spacesofplace’&‘spacesofflows’–  the‘real’worldofplaceandlivedexperience,whereweliveandbreathe

–  the‘virtual’worldofflows,where9meandplacerecedeinthewakeofinstantaneouscommunica9on(Castells1996/2011)

•  Emphasisonmovement–  beingasanever-endingproduc9onofspacesand9mes(Thrio2008)

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Deindustrialisation&theDeclineof‘Discipline’

SB: YoumenDonedthatyouthinkthatGlasgow’schangedalot-SH: IthinkpeoplearecomingtotherealisaDonthatitisagreatcity

andit’sagreatplacetostay.ItneverusedtobelikethatbutpeopleareproudtobeinGlasgownow.It’sagreatcity…Iwouldtakeitbacktothe70s,late70s,the80swiththeTorygovernmentrunningGlasgowdown.AllowingGlasgowtobecomederelict.Takingallindustryawayandpeople....InthewholeofGlasgowtherewasnojobsorlackofjobs.Thecoalminesweregonefromtheoutskirts,theshipyardsweregone.Thesteelworksweregoneandpeoplewerefindingithardtofindwork.

SB: Whatimpactdoyouthinkthathadonyoungpeople’sexperiencesofgrowingupinthecity?

SH: Idon’tknowifit’smadelifeeasierforthem.Imean,they’renothavingtogetupatfiveinthemorningandgoanddoan18hourshiWinashipyardoranything…Butthey’vegotlessdiscipline.

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Sociality&theDigitalRevolution

‘Likecomputersnowareamassivepartoflife...They’vecompletelychangedthewaylifeis…Myex,heroldestis19andbarelyleavesthehouse.Sitsinhisroomthewholeday.HeworksinMacDonald’s,

butapartfromthathe’ssi]ngonhislaptoplisteningtomusic,that’sit,insteadofgoingoutandvisiDngpeople.Herdaughterwho’s13,herfriendstaysaminuteandahalfwalkawayandshe’drathersitinthehouseonthephoneoronher

laptoptalkingtoherthangoingandseeingher…Wewentout.Wewentoutthehouse.’(Stakeholderinterview)

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Regeneration&GentriJication‘There’salotofregeneraDon,that’skindofbeenthebuzzwordofthelastcoupleofyearsinGlasgow,and

therearesomanylike-It’sjustareallytrendyplace,likeDukeStreet,Dennistoun.AllthiskindofmodernisaDon,Ithinkit’scool,butit’snothingthatIreallytakepartin,becauseitcostsalotofmoneyandIdon’thavealotofmoney,soIcan’treallyengageinit[…]It’sthewhole

exclusionthing.Like,Iknowpeoplehavegottosettheirpricesandthat,butitsDllfeelslikeaformof

exclusion.’(Youngperson)

Delocalisation&Commercialisation

SB: Wherewouldyougowhenyougoonanightout?YW: The[local]puborahouseparty.SB: Doyouevergooutinthecitycentre?YW: No.Idon’thavethemoneytodoitthenow.It’stoo

muchmoney.SB: DoyouevergointotownforotherleisureacDviDes?

Like,thecinema,shopping,anythinglikethat?YW: We’llsomeDmesgoshopping,like,atChristmasDme-

ButIdon’tgetpaidforgoingtocollegebecausemyson’sunderfiveso…it’snotasifIhaveanymoney…Ilivelocal.

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AGoodNightOutSB: Describeagoodnightout.YM: Iprobablywouldn’tbeabletorememberit.Agood

nightoutwouldbelike-Forme–andthisisthething–it’sgottobekindofunexpected.Ithinkthatifyou’replanningorwhatever,orifyou’regoingtothesameplacesalltheDme,everyweek,whichIknowalotofpeoplewhodothat–likecertainclubsinGlasgowcitycentre,they’llgotothesameplaceseveryweek–andI’mjustlike,“Ican’tdothat”.Sothat’swhyI’mkindofsporadicwithwhereIgoout,andwhenIdo,it’sjustkindoflike-Idon’tknow…it’slikeawholedifferentscenario.

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AnActualNightOut

‘IwenttotheWestEndlastweekanditwaspureshoestringbudgetstuff.ItwassDllagoodnight,rightenough,butitwaslike,actually

goingdowntothelast£20inmybankaccount…wewereplanningourdrinksout,wewereplanningthemout,like“Quarterto,we’llget-’andthenlike“AtthisDme-”andthen“This

Dme-”’(Youngperson)

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FocusingontheFutureSB: We’vetalkedquiteabitaboutgoingout.Wouldyousay

thatthat’squiteanimportantpartofyourleisureacDvity,isthatacentralthingyoudo?

YM: No,it’snotcentralatall...Like,thenow,in2015,forme,thiswholekindofprofessionalthing,it’sliketryingtoincorporatethatintomyday-to-daylife…BecauseI’minthiskindofposiDon,thisluckyposiDon,wherethethingthatIdotomakemoneyisreallyquiteenjoyabletojustdoit,soIcankindofdothateveryday.I’vegotacamera,soifIwanttotakeaphotoofsomething,Icantryandtakeaphoto,it’sthereifIwanttodoit…WhatI’mjustdoingthenow,tryingtomakeabreakinwhatitisI’vestudiedin,canbequitedifficultwithsomethingastrickyastelevisionandfilmingandthat,butit’sfun.

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BringingtheFutureintoPlay‘NowadaysI'mjusttryingtogetthroughmycollegecourse,upgrademyartskillssoIcanfinallydowhatIwanttodo.ThenifI'mgoodenough,thenIcouldmakeajoboutof

whatIenjoy…MyaspiraDonsforthefutureistomakemyowncomic.Hopefullyit'sactuallygoodenoughforpeopletoenjoyit.I’djustmakeawholeseriesandthenjustshare

itwitheveryoneelse,that'swhatIliketodo’

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DevelopingaProJileTheinternet’spreoyvital,justtowhatitisthatIdo.AnygivenweekI’llbefiringoffsomanycorrespondencestothisperson,thatpersonorwhatever…Itcouldbelikeifyou’reconversingwithsomebodyonTwioer,thatkindofstuff,there’salotofpeoplethatmaybeIwouldnever

havespoketobefore…alotofpeoplewhoareprofessionals,youcaninteractwiththem…Otherstufflikethere’sTumblrwhichisthewholebloggingwebsite.IusethatasanextensionofthewholecomicbookwebsitethatI’vegot,sothroughTumblrIcaninteractwithpeople

whoaremakingcomicsorwhatever.(Youngperson)

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MaintainingConnections

SB: Thesefriendsthatyou’recha]ngwith,aretheypeoplethatyouknowoffline-

YM: Aye,Iknoweveryoneofthem,they’reallschoolpals,likeIgrewupwiththemfromwhenIwasyounger…AsI’mgrowingolderit’sreallyimportant…Everybody’sbusy…workingaway…atcollegeandstuff

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Summary

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KeyThemes•  Regenera3onandgentrifica3on

–  Fewfreepublicspacesavailabletoyoungpeople–  Lessopportunityforstreet-basedleisure

•  Delocalisa3onandcommercialisa3on–  Growthofcitycentreand‘outoftown’venues–  Lackofmoneybecomesbarriertoleisurepar9cipa9on

•  Livinginthemoment–  Leisureasanescapefromthepressures/uncertain9esofeverydaylife

–  Narrowingofpercep9ontohereandnow•  Bringingthefutureintoplay

–  Blurringofboundariesbetweenwork/leisure–  Leisureasameanstoenhanceworkprospects,developinginterestsandacquiringskills

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ContinuityandChange•  Persistenceofsometradi9onalpaOernsofleisurepar9cipa9on,structuredbyplace-basedinequali9es

•  Alongsidenewandemergentuses,shapedbyglobaleconomicforcesandadvancesindigitaltechnology

•  Digitalsocialmediaoffersyoungpeoplemeansbywhichtonavigatecontextofuncertainty/precarity/austerity–  Beingmobile– Makingandmaintainingconnec9ons–  Establishingiden9ty/presence/profile–  Sharing9me/space

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Formoreinfo…hOps://reimaginingyouth.wordpress.com/