Contested spaces, young people and canals.
In: Youth & Policy, 2009, Heft 101, S. 55-65
Online
academicJournal
Zugriff:
This article comes out of participant observation (as a narrow boater) during 2001-7, and analyses the dynamics of interaction between users of the canal system in England and Wales. It is argued that the diverse users of the canals eg boaters, walkers, cyclists, anglers etc. contest the strictly limited public space in a way that normally avoids conflict and bad feeling. This is explained in relation to the common respect that the various 'players' have of the canals, and that a sense of community emerges from this. A crucial part of engendering this sense of community is seen as deriving from the friendly acknowledging of other canal users, despite the fact that these other users are normally not known to each other. The exception to these rules of canal etiquette would seem to be in the lack of overt communication with groups of young people who meet on the towpaths. Theories related to social interaction are drawn on to explain the meanings involved in acknowledging or ignoring others. It is argued that the social exclusion of young people is damaging to the community of canal users and is resulting in a vicious circle of increasing social distance, labelling and anti social behaviour by some of these young people. Policies to address social inclusion are critically examined and the conclusion reached that the intervention by professionals may be less effective than actions by other canal users. Canals are seen as an example of the deteriorating relationship between young people and adults in society as a whole, and the declining number of public spaces available to young people that are seen as legitimate places for them to associate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Contested spaces, young people and canals.
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Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: | Holmes, John |
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Zeitschrift: | Youth & Policy, 2009, Heft 101, S. 55-65 |
Veröffentlichung: | 2009 |
Medientyp: | academicJournal |
ISSN: | 0262-9798 (print) |
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