Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T04:43:54.364Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

It Takes More Than ‘Just Scratching the Surface’: The Perspectives of Young People on Living in a Disadvantaged Community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2017

Jelena van der Wal ,
Rebekah Grace  and
Kelly Baird
Jelena van der Wal*
Affiliation:
Department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Rebekah Grace
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Kelly Baird
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
*
address for corresponding: Jelena van der Wal, Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia. E-mail: jelena.vanderwal@mq.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper presents findings from research exploring young people's perspectives on the strengths, challenges and needs of their local community in a disadvantaged area of Sydney, Australia. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature that seeks to better understand the life experiences and support needs of vulnerable children and families. Young people's perspectives were gathered using a Photovoice methodology. Participants photographed aspects of their community that they considered to be a strength or challenge, and these photographs served as conversation prompts in subsequent individual interviews. Five key themes were identified from qualitative analysis of the data: (1) Local People and Places; (2) Financial Struggles and Opportunities; (3) Personal Resilience and Skills; (4) Health and Wellbeing and (5) The Impact of Stereotyping Media Constructions. Young people also made recommendations about what they perceived to be the most important forms of service and government investment in their community. This research gives emphasis to the importance of including the perspectives of young people in research and in providing an opportunity for them to identify the issues of most importance. It also discusses the community impact associated with the relentlessly deficit driven approach employed by researchers and the media when examining disadvantaged communities.

Keywords

child voicephotovoicequalitative researchyoung peopledisadvantaged communities
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 42 , Issue 4 , December 2017 , pp. 256 - 267
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2012). A picture of Australia's Children 2012. Cat. No. PHE 167. Canberra: AIHW.Google Scholar
Barnett, R. V., & Brennan, M. (2006). Integrating youth into community development: Implications for policy planning and program evaluation. Journal of Youth Development, 1 (2), 5–19.Google Scholar
Boeije, H. (2002). A purposeful approach to the constant comparative method in the analysis of qualitative interviews. Quality and Quantity, 36 (4), 391–409.Google Scholar
Booth, M. L., Bernard, D., Quine, S., Kang, M. S., Usherwood, T., Alperstein, G., & Bennett, D. L. (2004). Access to health care among Australian adolescents young people's perspectives and their sociodemographic distribution. Journal of Adolescent Health, 34 (1), 97–103.Google Scholar
Bradley, D., Noonan, P., Nugent, H., & Scales, B. (2008). Review of Australian higher education: Final report. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Branch, S., Homel, R., & Freiberg, K. (2013). Making the developmental system work better for children: Lessons learned implementing an innovative programme. Child & Family Social Work, 18 (3), 294–304.Google Scholar
Brann-Barrett, M. T. (2011). Same landscape, different lens: Variations in young people's socio-economic experiences and perceptions in their disadvantaged working-class community. Journal of Youth Studies, 14 (3), 261–278.Google Scholar
Council of Autralian Governments. (2009). Protecting children is everyone's business. Canberra: National framework for protecting children 2009–2020. Commonwealth of Autralia:.Google Scholar
Cummins, P. D., Scott, D., & Scales, B. (2012). Report of the protecting Victoria's vulnerable children inquiry. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer.Google Scholar
Davies, I., Hampden-Thompson, G., Calhoun, J., Bramley, G., Tsouroufli, M., Sundaram, V., . . . Jeffes, J. (2013). Young people's community engagement: What does research-based and other literature tell us about young people's perspectives and the impact of schools’ contributions? British Journal of Educational Studies, 61 (3), 327–343.Google Scholar
Edwards, B., Baxter, J., Smart, D., Sanson, A., & Hayes, A. (2009). Financial disadvantage and children's school readiness. Family Matters, 83, 23–31.Google Scholar
Gant, L. M., Shimshock, K., Allen-Meares, P., Smith, L., Miller, P., Hollingsworth, L. A., & Shanks, T. (2009). Effects of Photovoice: Civic engagement among older youth in urban communities. Journal of Community Practice, 17 (4), 358–376.Google Scholar
Glaser, B. G. (1978). Theoretical sensitivity: Advances in the methodology of grounded theory. Sociology Pr. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press.Google Scholar
Glaser, B. G., Strauss, A. L., & Strutzel, E. (1968). The discovery of grounded theory; strategies for qualitative research. Nursing Research, 17 (4), 364.Google Scholar
Goodwin, S., & Young, A. (2013). Ensuring children and young people have a voice in neighbourhood community development. Australian Social Work, 66 (3), 344–357.Google Scholar
Grace, R., Cashmore, J., Scott, D., & Hayes, A. (2016). Effective policy to support children, families and communities. In Grace, R., Hodge, K., & McMahon, C. (Eds.), Children, families and communities (5th edn., pp. 358–382). Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Heath, H., & Cowley, S. (2004). Developing a grounded theory approach: A comparison of Glaser and Strauss. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 41 (2), 141–150.Google Scholar
Hemphill, S. A., Toumbourou, J. W., Smith, R., Kendall, G. E., Rowland, B., Freiberg, K., & Williams, J. W. (2010). Are rates of school suspension higher in socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods? An Australian study. Health Promotion Journal of Australia: Official Journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals, 21 (1), 12–18.Google Scholar
Hergenrather, K. C., Rhodes, S. D., Cowan, C. A., Bardhoshi, G., & Pula, S. (2009). Photovoice as community-based participatory research: A qualitative review. American Journal of Health Behavior, 33 (6), 686–698.Google Scholar
Homel, R., Freiberg, K., & Branch, S. (2015). CREATE-ing capacity to take developmental crime prevention to scale: A community-based approach within a national framework. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 48 (3), 367–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
James, R., Bexley, E., Anderson, A., Devlin, M., Garnett, R., Marginson, S., & Maxwell, L. (2008). Participation and equity: a review of the participation in higher education of people from low socioeconomic backgrounds and Indigenous people, Melbourne, VIC: Centre for the Study of Higher Education.Google Scholar
Kaplan, I., Lewis, I., & Mumba, P. (2007). Picturing global educational inclusion? looking and thinking across students' photographs from the UK, Zambia and Indonesia. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 7 (1), 23–35.Google Scholar
Mason, C., Cremin, H., Warwick, P., & Harrison, T. (2011). Learning to (Dis) Engage? The socialising experiences of young people living in areas of socio-economic disadvantage. British Journal of Educational Studies, 59 (4), 421–437.Google Scholar
Mmari, K., Blum, R., Sonenstein, F., Marshall, B., Brahmbhatt, H., Venables, E., . . . Sangowawa, A. (2014). Adolescents' perceptions of health from disadvantaged urban communities: Findings from the WAVE study. Social Science & Medicine, 104, 124–132.Google Scholar
Morrow, V. (2001). Using qualitative methods to elicit young people's perspectives on their environments: Some ideas for community health initiatives. Health Education Research, 16 (3), 255–268.Google Scholar
Muir, K., Katz, I., Edwards, B., Gray, M., Wise, S., Hayes, A., & the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy Evaluation team. (2010). National evaluation of the communities for children initiative. Family Matters, 84, 35–42.Google Scholar
Nelson, A. L., Macdonald, D., & Abbott, R. A. (2012). A risky business? Health and physical activity from the perspectives of urban Australian Indigenous young people. Health, Risk & Society, 14 (4), 325–340.Google Scholar
Nicholson, J. M., Lucas, N., Berthelsen, D., & Wake, M. (2012). Socioeconomic inequality profiles in physical and developmental health from 0–7 years: Australian National Study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 66, 81–87.Google Scholar
NSW Department of Family and Community Services. (2013). Annual Report 2012–2013. Retrieved from https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0010/279037/3005_FACS_AR_2012-13_WEB_FACS_R.pdf Google Scholar
Rhodes, S. D., & Hergenrather, K. C. (2007). Recently arrived immigrant Latino men identify community approaches to promote HIV prevention. American Journal of Public Health, 97 (6), 984.Google Scholar
Schreier, M. (2012). Qualitative content analysis in practice. Sage Publications, London.Google Scholar
Scott, D. (2015). Children in Australia: Harms and hopes. Family Matters, 96. Retrieved from https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/fm96-ds.pdf.Google Scholar
Smokowski, P. R., Reynolds, A. J., & Bezruczko, N. (2000). Resilience and protective factors in adolescence: An autobiographical perspective from disadvantaged youth. Journal of School Psychology, 37 (4), 425–448.Google Scholar
Speak, S. (2000). Children in urban regeneration: Foundations for sustainable participation. Community Development Journal, 35 (1), 31–40.Google Scholar
Strack, R. W., Magill, C., & McDonagh, K. (2004). Engaging youth through photovoice. Health Promotion Practice, 5 (1), 49–58.Google Scholar
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. M. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.Google Scholar
Turner, K. M., Hill, M., Stafford, A., & Walker, M. (2006). How children from disadvantaged areas keep safe. Health Education, 106 (6), 450–464.Google Scholar
Wang, C. C., & Burris, M. A. (1994). Empowerment through photo novella: Portraits of participation. Health Education & Behavior, 21 (2), 171–186.Google Scholar
Wang, C. C., & Burris, M. A. (1997). Photovoice: Concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education & Behavior, 24 (3), 369–387.Google Scholar
Wang, C. C., & Redwood-Jones, Y. A. (2001). Photovoice ethics: Perspectives from flint photovoice. Health Education & Behavior, 28 (5), 560–572.Google Scholar
Wang, C. C. (2006). Youth participation in photovoice as a strategy for community change. Journal of Community Practice, 14 (1-2), 147–161.Google Scholar
Watson, M., & Douglas, F. (2012). It's making us look disgusting . . . and it makes me feel like a mink . . . it makes me feel depressed!: Using photovoice to help ‘see’ and understand the perspectives of disadvantaged young people about the neighbourhood determinants of their mental. International Journal of Health Promotion & Education, 50 (6), 278–295.Google Scholar
Wilson, N., Dasho, S., Martin, A. C., Wallerstein, N., Wang, C. C., & Minkler, M. (2007). Engaging young adolescents in social action through photovoice the youth empowerment strategies (YES!) project. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 27 (2), 241–261.Google Scholar
Wimpenny, P., & Gass, J. (2000). Interviewing in phenomenology and grounded theory: Is there a difference? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 31 (6), 1485–1492.Google Scholar
Wood, J. (2008). Report of the special commission of inquiry into child protection services in New South Wales. State of New South Wales: Sydney. Retrieved from http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/cpsinquiry.Google Scholar