Youth places and spaces: the impact of the disappearing

‘streetscape’ on youth social capital.

Paulina Billett(La Trobe University, Australia)

About this presentation Examines the effects of the disappearance of

the fourth environment on youth social capital

The street is important in youth networking

Space is increasingly becoming more controlled

Control and surveillance has increased feelings of isolation, mistrust of and by adults and has affected networking

Setting up the conversation

Wollondilly Shire:Land Area: 255,656 hectares

Thirlmere

Tahmoor

The oaks

Public transport services

Train Stations

Bus Stops

Picton

Tahmoor

Picton

Description of participantsParticipants

AgeFemale Male Participation

in Assets generator

Participation in Ties

generator

Participation in survey

Participation in focus groups

14 6 4 10 10 10 10

15 4 11 15 15 15 15

16 9 2 11 11 11 11

17 5 5 10 10 10 10

18 3 1 4 4 4 4

Total 27 23 50 50 50 50

Importance of social capital Over the last 10 years, social capital has become increasingly

used when attempting to tackle the issues facing young people in society including poverty, homelessness and school disengagement .

Social capital’s most significant benefit for youth researchers, policy makers and workers alike - Can help us to understand the experiences of youth outside 'traditional' youth theory.

The places in which young people foster and reproduce social capital continues to be ignored.

The importance of space in the formation of social capital Hanging out allows youth to prove their understanding of youth

culture by proving their ‘coolness’ within the group (Danesi, 1994).

However, young people are restricted in the places in which they can gather due to age and economic situation.

Unlike adults, youth can only occupy many spaces under the proviso that they will accept adult surveillance.

This often leads to young people feeling isolated, bored and disengaged from their local communities.

Negative impact of the surveillance and loss of space

Young people often report feeling mistrusted by the community as well as experiencing an acute awareness of negative feelings directed toward them by adults (Morrow, 2001).

‘I don’t know, they don’t want to change anything, like for the young people coming into this area, like all the people (adults) want the area to stay the same’ (Jasmine, Group 5, Rural Fire

Services)

‘Yeah like some people say there is like a mini-arcade at the pub, but like what kid wants to hang out at the pub with all the drunk people and stuff…’ (Christina, Group 3, Picton Anglican Church)

 

Seen to be seen Young people gather in a variety of environments, from the highly

adult controlled spaces of the home and school environment, to the relatively adult free (but increasingly under surveillance) fourth environment.

The street The street plays a particularly important role in social capital formation as a place where young people can gather to reaffirm their group belonging and display their coolness and being in the know.

However, the street has come under attack due to the moral panics generated around the positioning of young people within these spaces- as victims or threats.

The conceptualisation of youth’s as victims stems from the (adult) fear of possible physical or sexual danger to young people when hanging out outside adult control. Youths as threats - young people

(particularly males) present a risk to others sharing public space and has resulted in the right of young people to use public space being contested.

Youth space?Youth centres are seen as appropriate places

for young people

They “keep” young people off the street

However their “appeal” and effectiveness is questionable

Youth Centres

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAx_-XnHfEI

Photo used with permission from CLW

When communication fails...Young people must be engaged in planning and conversation and

care must be taken not to do this in a tokenistic fashion

Paulina - And what happened with that petition? Josh- Nothin Brad- Nothin Josh- don’t know Steven- just went down the drain Lachlan- yeah nothing Brad- we’ve tried heaps of times before Paulina - so what are you trying to do? Get another one built there or

something? Frank- oh an extension... Steven- they are talking about little kids and shit, they are trying to get

a little one there Brad- I reckon it’s a complete waste of time hey Frank- they got like 25 grand to like upgrade it but they haven’t done

anything Paulina- so what’s happened to the 25 thousand? Frank- well its Picton council... They put everything into the roads

around here… 

Bargo Skate Park

Bargo Skate Park After Youth Petition

Bargo Skate Park before Youth Petition

Commercial spaces• Just as with the

street, public/private spaces, such as shopping centres are highly contested places of youth interaction.

• Shopping centres are telling examples of the private space/public access dynamic

(Hatzopoulos and Clancy 2007)

• Joe - ‘Whenever me and my friends go to the shops we are made to feel like we are thief’s, or some kind of weirdos… guards

are always watching and wondering if we are going to do something wrong…’

How does lack of space affect the social capital of young peopleIf a young person hopes to maintain their

networks and create new ones, they must be able to prove their understanding of youth culture.

young people in being seen to be seen understand that they must display the appropriate stylistic for their particular group.

The spaces in which young people congregate provide young people with the ability to prove appropriate cultural understanding and earn social worth.

Youth strategies to gain spaceYoung people are not powerless and they have found many creative

ways in which to colonise ‘new space’ in which to network.

Online social networking is a continuity of ‘real world’ networking, where social hierarchies are likely to be present and individuals might be brought into the circle of conversation if the individual is found to be ‘cool’, or ignored if not (Boyd, 2008b).

For most young people, social networking is more than a way of communicating, it is a public display of connections and status.

The explosive growth of internet use by young people has led to a steady stream of moral panics directed at internet use and calls for regularisation.

Getting it rightwhere a provision cannot be

made for their needs, young people should be made aware of these short comings and consultation should be undertaken to find a solution.

Young people crave genuine engagement, and most importantly as members of our society they deserve it.

Tahmoor dirt jumps

Thanks!