Generation On-the-Go : The Use of Cultural Analysis in a Youth Participation Process
(2014) TKAM02 20141Division of Ethnology
- Abstract (Swedish)
- The out-migration of adolescents and its ensuing consequences, such as rising costs in infrastructure, are a central concern for most rural municipalities in Germany today. This thesis is inspired by and based on the youth participation process titled “Jetzt rede ich!” (in English: “I am talking now!”), which aimed to answer the question of how a municipality in northern Germany can keep youth and counteract out-migration. The goal of this research project is therefore to create an understanding of how local youth currently perceive their municipality and to elicit which factors influence how they plan for the future. The project constitutes an experimental methodological journey; its findings result from the use of various visual... (More)
- The out-migration of adolescents and its ensuing consequences, such as rising costs in infrastructure, are a central concern for most rural municipalities in Germany today. This thesis is inspired by and based on the youth participation process titled “Jetzt rede ich!” (in English: “I am talking now!”), which aimed to answer the question of how a municipality in northern Germany can keep youth and counteract out-migration. The goal of this research project is therefore to create an understanding of how local youth currently perceive their municipality and to elicit which factors influence how they plan for the future. The project constitutes an experimental methodological journey; its findings result from the use of various visual ethnographic methods (photography, mapping, collage crafting) as well as informal interviews conducted online and in person. In order to deduce sensible recommendations for the client, the data is analyzed against a theoretical background composed of the concept of the habitus and its contemporary critique as well as the phenomenological approach to perception. The concept of digital natives and how growing up in the digital age influences the young people's perception of their environment and their future plans is also taken into account.
The analysis shows that in order to keep youth in the region those structures, which foster emotional ties between youth and the region, need to be strengthened. Moreover, feelings of belonging and being taken seriously by adults are essential for the municipality to play a role in young people's future plans. This thesis is breaking new ground both in terms of methodology and research area. It reflects on the implementation of the instant messenger Whatsapp into participatory research with youth, and it contributes to the hitherto sparse research on the use of cultural analysis in planning practice. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/4499865
- author
- Scholz, Ann-Kathrin LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- TKAM02 20141
- year
- 2014
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- demographic change, youth participation, cultural analysis, visual ethnography, participatory research, mental mapping, whatsapp, digital natives, planning, qualitative research, ethnology
- language
- English
- id
- 4499865
- date added to LUP
- 2014-06-30 08:07:16
- date last changed
- 2014-06-30 08:07:16
@misc{4499865,
abstract = {{The out-migration of adolescents and its ensuing consequences, such as rising costs in infrastructure, are a central concern for most rural municipalities in Germany today. This thesis is inspired by and based on the youth participation process titled “Jetzt rede ich!” (in English: “I am talking now!”), which aimed to answer the question of how a municipality in northern Germany can keep youth and counteract out-migration. The goal of this research project is therefore to create an understanding of how local youth currently perceive their municipality and to elicit which factors influence how they plan for the future. The project constitutes an experimental methodological journey; its findings result from the use of various visual ethnographic methods (photography, mapping, collage crafting) as well as informal interviews conducted online and in person. In order to deduce sensible recommendations for the client, the data is analyzed against a theoretical background composed of the concept of the habitus and its contemporary critique as well as the phenomenological approach to perception. The concept of digital natives and how growing up in the digital age influences the young people's perception of their environment and their future plans is also taken into account.
The analysis shows that in order to keep youth in the region those structures, which foster emotional ties between youth and the region, need to be strengthened. Moreover, feelings of belonging and being taken seriously by adults are essential for the municipality to play a role in young people's future plans. This thesis is breaking new ground both in terms of methodology and research area. It reflects on the implementation of the instant messenger Whatsapp into participatory research with youth, and it contributes to the hitherto sparse research on the use of cultural analysis in planning practice.}},
author = {{Scholz, Ann-Kathrin}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Generation On-the-Go : The Use of Cultural Analysis in a Youth Participation Process}},
year = {{2014}},
}