NORTHAMPTON Cmtre Forchild-Mand Youth
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a University College E NORTHAMPTON Cmtre forchild-mand Youth PROJECTDATA USERGUIDE . ,’, . ., ,. ,. Exploring the fourth environment: Young people’s use of place and views on their environment Introduction The purpose of this guide is to individually outline each of the study areas which feature in the ‘Exploring the fourth environment: young people’s use of place and views on their local environment’ project. The project was based in three contrasting types of locality across Northamptonshire and the work was carried out between October 1996 and September 1999. The guide is set out in the following sections: Section 1: Project Aims, Objectives and Methods of Research Page 1 - 5 -Includes a project publications list Section 2: Data Collection Summary Tables Page 6 - 9 -This section provides a detailed breakdown of exactly where and how the information was collected, sample sizes and/or data availability. Note that not all study areas were used in all aspects of the project work. Section 3: Database and Transcription File Matrices Page 10 - 14 -This section provides a detailed breakdown of all the relevant files/file types that are associated with the analysis of the data. There are two types of file that are listed. Database files (used to analyse the collective results of the individual questionnaire based surveys) are listed as ***.SAV files. These files are useable with SPSS (6.1 for Windows or above). Text files (used for the transcription of interviews) are listed as ***.DOC files. They can be accessed using MS Word 6.0 for Windows or above. As with the tables in Section 2, the files are listed by location and by role that that respective locations play in each of the individual surveys. Note that not all study areas were used in all aspects of the project work. Section 3: Summary of Ward Characteristics Page 15 - 19 -This section provides a contextual background to the individual study areas within the three types of locality used for data collection. As with the previous sections, the tables are broken down by type of locality and for each village, estate or town sampled within the project, Ward level data is used to provide a summary of the socio-economic characteristics of each study area. Once again, note that not all study areas were used in all aspects of the project work. -The Ward Level data is obtained from the ‘Poverty Profile of Northamptonshire 1997’, produced by the Research and Information Unit, Northamptonshire County Council. Supporting pages for each of the characteristics used in the project Ward Profile are provided at the end of this section. These pages are reproduced with kind permission of the Research and Information Unit and are copyright of Northamptonshire County Council. They may not be reproduced without prior consent. -It should be noted that since the Poverty Profile was produced in 1997, some of the Ward boundaries have been redefined or renamed, particularly in the rural districts of Daventry District, East Northamptonshire and South Northamptonshire. It should also be noted all figures used in the summary tables are rounded to the nearest 0.1%. Section 4: Appendices and Supporting Information 1 Project Aims, Objectives and Methods of Research Project Title: Exploring the fourth environment: young people’s use of place and views on their local environment. ESRC Programme: Children 5-16: growing into the 21st century Award No: L129251031 Project Team: Professor Hugh Matthews, Dr Melanie Limb and Mark Taylor Duration of Project: 01.10.96 to 30.09.99 Institution: Centre for Children and Youth, University College Northampton Aims and Objectives 1. To examine how children and adolescents (9 to 16 years) 'see the world around them' and how they make use of place. Attention has focussed on the 'fourth environment', those public places beyond the home, school and playground. 2. To consider whether age, sex, ethnicity, family structure, social class and location (inner-urban, urban (suburban), rural) have a bearing upon children's and adolescents' environmental use, access, needs (social, recreational, sporting), aspirations, safety and behaviour and to evaluate the role of parental attitudes/fears towards shaping environmental opportunity in order to uncover the negotiated geography of place. 3. To contribute significantly to the development of appropriate (and novel) methods of studying children's and adolescents' local environmental values, preferences and needs (for example, extensive and intensive surveys, group interviews, in-depth discussion groups, environmental exchanges, environmental videos, environmental diaries, environmental forums). 4. To consider how children and adolescents could become part of the (local) environmental planning process, particularly through long-term structures which both empower young people and encourage an attitude of critical reflection. This part of the project involved 'local' inter-agency co-operation and action with regard both to the identification of 'local' environmental issues relevant to children and adolescents and to the enhancement of 'local' environmental strategies targeted at young people. In addition, the project looked critically and comparatively upon the experiences of countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Philippines and Brazil (known to the project team through direct experience andconsultancies) all of which have put in place lasting organisations that facilitate young people's participation. 5. To contribute to the theoretical and conceptual debates on young people as 'outsiders' within society, and ii) 'active' environmental agents capable of participatory citizenship from an early age. Both debates raise issues of empowerment, equal opportunity and equity and are set in the context of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and 'local' Agenda 21. Also, to explore the tensions that arise through changing perceptions of 'public' and 'private' spaces and between the rival pulls of the rights to both freedom and protection. This part of the project was multi-disciplinary in perspective and drew upon cross-national experiences. 2 Methods of Research Doorstep questionnaire survey: 1087 young people took part in the survey out of target of 1200. Prior to the start of the survey, a draft of the questionnaire was sent to all users and beneficiaries for comment. Also, a group of young people provided advice and guidance on the content and wording of the questionnaire. In addition the questionnaire was piloted in several local youth clubs. In order to gain a wide representation of views and experiences the survey was undertaken in three areas: the Northampton Single Regeneration Budget area (inner urban), edge of town council estates in Daventry, Corby and Kettering (outer urban); and (rural) 28 villages across the county, stratified both by distance (near and away from an urban centre) and the presence of leisure opportunities (with and without a youth club). The interviews were conducted by the Research Assistant and teams of outreach youth workers. Each team attended a half-day training workshop. All data have been coded and entered for SPSS analysis. Semi-structured street-based interviews with young people on the streets were undertaken in all three locations by (trained) outreach youth workers in each location. This involves recording (by tape) discussions with young people hanging around oil streets, in order to generate narratives of their experiences, and observations of their behaviour. Shopping centre survey: 404 young people have been interviewed in five shopping centres across the county. Young people's panels: Much of the project has involved intensive small group work with young people. Activities have included keeping environmental diaries, child-taken photographs, video- narratives of their local environments and a planning simulation exercise. Letters requesting permission to use taped transcripts for analysis and for deposition in the ESRC Qualitative Data Archival Resource Centre were sent to the parents/guardians of all the children. School-based in-depth discussion groups: In-depth discussions (school based) were carried out with three age groups - 9/10 years; 13/14 years and 15/16 years old. Initially, the discussion group work was intended to be carried out in youth club setting as part of the Young people's panels work. However, although the young people were very keen to assist in other aspects of the project, the competing attractions within the club environment meant that they were less willing to give up their time for group discussions. Leisure centre survey: 5 leisure centres took part in the survey and 118 young people have completed questionnaires. Parents' panels: Semi-structured interviews with a sample of 20 parents from each locality were carried out. 3 Publications and Presentations (correct at ‘project end date’ 30.09.99) Please note: Versions of the Monographs listed below have been published in national and international journals. For details of these publications, please contact the project team. ESRC Monograph No 1: Matthews, H, Limb, M and Taylor, M (1998a) 'The right to say: the development of youth councils/forums in the UK’. ESRC Monograph No 2: Matthews, H, Limb, M and Taylor, M (1999a) ‘Defining an agenda for the geography of children’. ESRC Monograph No 3: Matthews, H, Limb, M and Taylor, M (1998b) ‘The geography of children: some ethical and methodological considerations for project and dissertation work’. ESRC Monograph No 4: Matthews, H, Limb, M and Taylor, M (1999d) ‘Young people’s participation and representation in society’. ESRC Monograph No 5: Matthews, H, Limb, M, Harrison, L and Taylor, M (1998c) ‘Local places and the political engagement of young people: youth councils as participatory structures’. ESRC Monograph No 6: Matthews, H, Limb, M and Taylor, M (1999c) 'Reclaiming the streets: the discourse of curfew. ESRC Monograph No 7: Matthews, H, Limb, M and Taylor, M (1999e) ‘The street as thirdspace’ ESRC Monograph No 8: Taylor, M, Matthews, H and Limb, M (1998e) ‘Is anybody listening? Young people’s views on their local environment - examples from Northamptonshire’.