Charlotte Fabiansson

Being young in rural settings : young people's everyday community affiliations and trepidations

Abstract Geographical isolation creates a special context of obligations, reciprocal relationships, social network systems, inclusion and exclusion strategies, and a need to focus on maintaining services, employment opportunities and business infrastructures. This research explored Australian young people’s role and everyday circumstances within a rural community context, and their involvement in community events as beneficiaries of what the communities have to offer and as active participants influencing the communities’ youth agenda. The empirical data is based on a survey of 751 high school students between the ages of 14 and 21 years. The local government level and the community organisational level were explored to enhance the understanding of young people’s life in rural communities. The findings underline females’ community role in building social cohesion, being more inclusive in their social behaviour and actions to strengthen the existing community culture. Young males were the dominant users of community services, but showed less interest in promoting community well-being, thus demonstrating a higher level of self-reliance, expecting less help and support from their friends than young females.

Recreational Gambling: Young People's Gambling Participation in Rural Australia

Gambling research is largely focused on problem and pathological gambling by adults, while young peoples gambling pursuits and the social context in which gambling knowledge and skills are established are less well researched, despite it being acknowledged that young people participate in and start their gambling activities at an early age. This paper explores young peoples experiences of gambling activities within a social and family recreational framework in two Australian rural communities. The gambling construct is used in a wide inclusive context ranging from buying of raffle tickets to participation in casino gambling. The empirical data were collated through a self-administered questionnaire distributed during school time to high school students between the ages of 14 and 21 years in 2003. The research shows that young people are introduced to social and recreational gambling within the family context where parents, siblings and older friends facilitate the financial transaction process. Young males are more active overall than females in pursuing gambling activities in all areas except horse betting and keno gambling.

Youths' leisure milieus in rural settings : gender equality in the utilisation of leisure opportunities

Abstract Physical leisure and sports activities are extensively promoted to ensure healthy living and wellbeing among young people. This paper explores the everyday recreational activities of Australian rural youth and their involvement in community events, both as beneficiaries of what the community has to offer in sports and leisure pursuits and as active participants influencing the community’s youth agenda. A survey was undertaken in 2003, of 751 school-age youths in two Australian rural communities. The research elucidated youths’ leisure activities, utilisation of available community activities, social cohesion and social network systems. Utilisation of leisure facilities, preferences for leisure activities and retention rates within the chosen leisure activity, all showed significant gender differences.

Young people's societal belonging and perception of social status within networks

The research explored young peoples social status identification within social networks and how it influenced societal belonging, self-perception and future aspirations. The focus was on social status identity as it is anticipated that a persons social status identity affects an individuals perception of their social status to a greater extent than an actual socio-economic classification. Social status perception is created within the familys social and cultural capital, but also by agency in directing engagement in societal activities, social identity and future aspirations. Findings from the survey of 751 Australian high-school students living in geographically isolated and sparsely populated residential areas indicated strong relationships between social status identification and sense of societal belonging, involvement in community events and confidence in achieving future aspirations. The students who classified themselves as having a high social status identity felt more at home and engaged in the community and confident to express independent views.