Making the best of it: Adolescents’ perceptions of how their home and neighbourhood spheres shape their lives

Vibeke Krane,Ellen Andvig

doi:10.7577/njsr.3918

Abstract

Adolescents’ homes are fundamental components of their living conditions and essential for their everyday life, health, well-being and development. Previous research has focused on how housing affects adolescents through investigating certain aspects of adolescent health and future outcomes. In this qualitative study, we explored low-income family adolescents’ subjective experiences of their homes and in what ways their experiences of housing influenced their everyday lives. Seven participants aged between 12 and 20 years were recruited through a housing project. The participants were interviewed using individual in-depth interviews. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis and organised into four themes: 1) housing features affecting social life and privacy, 2) moving around, 3) the importance of neighbourhood and 4) worries and dreams. The findings show how the housing standards affected adolescents’ social life and privacy. House moves could provide new opportunities but also lead to a lack of continuity in relationships. The neighbourhood was highlighted as a public sphere, providing access to places and friends. Adolescents’ worries and dreams concerning housing conditions are also presented. The results show how housing is central in shaping adolescents’ social relationships, the importance of access to neighbourhood spheres and how adolescents adapt to their situation. The findings further reveal the important underlying processes to facilitate a greater understanding of the role of housing in low-income family adolescents’ lives.

Highlights

Children and adolescents spend more time in the home environment than in any other physical setting
We have focused on how seven Norwegian adolescents from low-income families experienced housing and how it has affected their everyday lives
We discuss the findings of adolescents’ subjective experiences of their home and how housing influenced their everyday lives in terms of how housing is important in shaping social relationships, the importance of access to differing neighbourhood spheres and how adolescents adapt to their situation

Summary

Introduction

Children and adolescents spend more time in the home environment than in any other physical setting. —and in line with an ecological perspective— children’s and adolescents’ homes are fundamental components of their living conditions and are crucial experiences of their environments as they grow up (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) Article 27 states, ‘The right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development’. These rights are an acknowledgement of children’s and adolescents’ homes as an essential prerequisite for their positive development. ‘Home’ has been defined as the location where people are settled psychologically, socially, culturally and physically, involving both symbolic and emotional aspects (Hauge, 2009, p. 28). Hayward (1977) identifies the core dimensions of meaning that are considered home: self-identity, close relationships, a social network, a place of privacy and refuge, continuity, a personalised place, a base of activities, the childhood home and a physical structure

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