Abstract
The study explores the aspirations of children and young people from a working-class Protestant community in Belfast, the factors influencing these aspirations and the barriers and enablers to achieving them. The literature reviewed for the study draws attention to how personal traits, like age and gender, play a role in forming aspirations alongside the influences from family, friends, teachers, and society at large. The literature also suggests that aspirations may relate to education, work, happiness, and life satisfaction.The conceptual framework for the study draws on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems, in particular his PPCT model (Person, Process, Context, Time), along with Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field and capital. The framework also takes into consideration ways in which neoliberal discourse may influence aspirations. Together, these ideas provide a conceptual lens through which to interrogate the origins, evolution, and manifestations of aspirations of the children and young people in this study.
A participatory qualitative research design was utilised to ascertain the perspectives of children and young people aged between ten and eighteen years old (n=96) across thirteen focus groups. Data was also collected from parents (n=13, from one focus group and five semi-structured interviews), community workers (n=7, semi-structured interviews) and senior leaders in schools (n=7, semi-structured interviews). The research design also involved the participation of two young people’s advisory groups (YPAGs): six girls from a local secondary school (aged 12-13 years old at the start of the study) and six boys from another local secondary school (aged 12-13 years old at the beginning of the study). YPAGs advised on the development of the research instruments and provided insight into the analysis.
Findings from the study suggest that children and young people in this area possess high aspirations but face challenges like austerity, limited resources, and familial scepticism towards education. The influence of paramilitaries and a lack of local professional role models means that young people equate success with moving away from their community. Their primary aim, happiness and health, is intertwined with education and job success, emphasising the need to address the region's unique socio-cultural context.
The thesis concludes by presenting a theoretical triangulation of Bronfenbrenner’s and Bourdieu’s theories with neoliberal influences. Central to this is the child, with concentric circles representing layers of influence, from immediate surroundings to broader socio-political structures, shaping aspirations in The Area. This study suggests that children’s and young people’s (CYP) aspirations are deeply influenced by their intrinsic traits, societal frameworks and prevailing neoliberal discourses. These factors must be fully acknowledged and addressed in policy and practice to ensure working-class children in a post-conflict society can fully realise their aspirations.
Date of Award | Dec 2024 |
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Original language | English |
Awarding Institution |
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Sponsors | Northern Ireland Department for the Economy |
Supervisor | Lesley Emerson (Supervisor) & Paul Best (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- Aspirations
- Bourdieu
- PPCT
- Bronfenbrenner
- Neoliberalism
- post-conflict society
- working-class
- protestants
- community impact