Partnership initiatives in communities

Researchers: Hilary Arksey, Tim Newburn (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

Funder: Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Duration: December 2000 to August 2002

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation funded an evaluation study of socially isolated communities living in deprived council estates in three different local authorities. SPRU undertook qualitative interviews with residents in one of the authorities. This involved conducting interviews to find out about life on the estate, including what is considered to be ‘good’ or ‘safe’, what is considered to be in need of improvement, and any changes residents think have been taking place locally.

Twenty households took part in the study; in each house, two residents from different generations are being interviewed. Their ages ranged from 11 to over 70. To gain insights into the changes over time, each person was interviewed three times, nine months apart. The first set of interviews involved the use of visual stimuli such as photographs to arouse interest. Children and young people were asked to draw maps of their immediate surroundings and route to school to help facilitate the discussion.

In preparation for the second set of interviews (that took place in October 2001), study participants were given disposable cameras and asked to photograph places and people they felt were important features of the estate. The photographs were used to stimulate discussion, and to add further depth to interviewees’ responses. It was a way of seeing the council estate through the eyes of residents.