Engaging youth on their own terms? An actor-network theory account of hip-hop in youth work. A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Human Services by Elizabeth Wilson University of Canterbury 2014 1 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Table of Figures ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................ 11 Glossary ............................................................................................................................................................ 13 Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 18 Hip-Hop Encounters ............................................................................................................................... 19 Reflexivity and the inception of the project. ............................................................................. 24 Youth Work as a Site of Hip-Hop Practice ...................................................................................... 25 Scarcity of literature. ......................................................................................................................... 25 Setting the Scene: Youth Work in Christchurch ........................................................................... 26 A study of the contexts and forms of youth work. ................................................................. 28 Hip-Hop Controversies .......................................................................................................................... 29 Hip-hop culture. ................................................................................................................................... 29 Violence and misogyny controversies. ....................................................................................... 30 Problematizing ethnicity. ................................................................................................................. 31 Gang life and antisocial activities. ................................................................................................ 32 Local controversies. ........................................................................................................................... 33 Hip-Hop as a Medium for Engaging with Youth .......................................................................... 34 Overcoming Controversy ...................................................................................................................... 35 Introduction to ANT ................................................................................................................................ 38 Tracing socio-material assemblages. .......................................................................................... 39 Hip-hop and Youth Work Realities as Mutable and Multiple. ................................................ 44 Description as Explanation .................................................................................................................. 48 Thesis Outline ........................................................................................................................................... 49 Chapter Two: Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 53 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 53 Following the Action ............................................................................................................................... 54 Entering the networks. ..................................................................................................................... 54 Embracing multiplicity and blurry boundaries. ...................................................................... 56 Following the actors. ......................................................................................................................... 61 3 Following dilemmas. .......................................................................................................................... 62 Participant observation. ................................................................................................................... 65 Generating data. .................................................................................................................................. 68 Becoming a Part of the Networks ...................................................................................................... 71 Translating the Field into Words ....................................................................................................... 77 Sorting and reconfiguring the information. .............................................................................. 78 Deciding which stories to tell. ........................................................................................................ 79 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................... 81 Chapter Three: Following and Mapping Youth Interests .............................................................. 83 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 83 Translating Youth Interests ................................................................................................................. 84 Utilising the Appeal of Hip-hop .......................................................................................................... 86 Introducing hip-hop to engage with Maori and Pacific youth. .......................................... 87 Working with hip-hop’s multiplicity. .......................................................................................... 90 Keeping up with Youth Culture ........................................................................................................ 106 Learning more about a version of hip-hop culture. ............................................................. 107 Keeping up with changes in hip-hop culture. ........................................................................ 109 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 113 Chapter Four: Enrolling Youth in Hip-hop Activities ................................................................... 116 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 116 Enrolment as Socio-Material ............................................................................................................. 117 Assembling and Mobilising a Hip-Hop Identity ......................................................................... 120 Establishing a hip-hop reputation. ............................................................................................. 122 Mobilising hip-hop clothing. ......................................................................................................... 126 Assembling Spaces ................................................................................................................................ 133 “Making it work”: B-boys/b-girls enlistment of youth work spaces. ............................ 134 Assembling an accessible youth space. .................................................................................... 144 Circulating Information ....................................................................................................................... 148 Spreading the word. ......................................................................................................................... 150 Assembling a brand. ......................................................................................................................... 161 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 167 Chapter Five: Handling Hip-Hop Bads ............................................................................................... 171 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 171 4 Exploring Goods and Bads with an ANT Sensibility ................................................................. 173 Hip-hop Goods and Bads ..................................................................................................................... 177 Hip-hop bads. .....................................................................................................................................