Johansen, Karina Helle

Klitgård, Rikke Josefine Åsbjerg

Knudsen, Nadja Adriana Frøstrup

The purpose of this thesis is to study and unfold the subject of girls in Charlottekvarteret, a social housing area in Hedehusene. Based on a holistic concept of health, as well as an empowerment approach, it investigates what barriers and opportunities the girls have for networking and further what consequences an unequal distribution of networking opportunities can have for the girls’ health. The holistic concept of health is based on WHO’s definitions of health promotion, empowerment and inequality in health. The concept adds to a collective approach on how to understand the creation of health in the setting of the girls’ everyday lives, and further how health depends on one’s ability to achieve actual goals in life and gain control over one’s own life circumstances. The focus on inequality in health is based upon an understanding of a blindspot regarding the girls in Charlottekvarteret, in the current social work taking place in the area today. Due to this, the purpose of the paper is also to shed light on a prevention of the inequalities in the possibilities of making opportunistic networking, caused by this blindspot. Networking is considered in relation to Robert Putnam’s concept of social capital and therefore as a determinant of health, inspired by the believe that social relations can be important to the opportunities of improving one’s life. The thesis builds on inspiration from Critical Theory, Action Research and an empowerment perspective anchored in John Andersens concept of transformative empowerment. Building on this empowerment perspective, the thesis concludes that by changing certain objective and suppressing structures in society, and by developing the girls’ subjective awareness and capacity to act, there are opportunities for empowering the girls. The empowerment is anchored in the girls’ being able to say their opinions and their opinions being heard by the decision-makers in Charlottekvarteret. The thesis furthermore draws on Loïc Wacquants concept of territorial stigmatization. This concept contributes with a perspective on certain political structures and strategies which can create barriers and have an effect on the girls’ life circumstances and health. The project was formed and carried out in a cooperation with a group of social workers in Charlottekvarteret, in an empirical case study, offering phronetic knowledge. Through a collaborative process with the girls, the study examines how change-oriented Action Research combines research- and experience knowledge. The study hereby contributes to create new knowledge about potentials for change in relation to the girls’ opportunities for networking in Charlottekvarteret, by strengthening the girls’ voices and increase focus on initiatives targeted girls. Through the case study, the analysis concludes that opportunities for networking plays an essential role for the health of the girls in Charlottekvarteret, because it influences their chances in life. With inspiration from the case study this research builds bridges between theoretical concepts of health promotion and praxis, to reduce a existing gap between these. The thesis unfolds and identifies 13 potential changes to empower the girls’ opportunities of strengthening their social relations and network. Finally the thesis argues that there is a need for developing further knowledge on the importance of possibilities for networking and constructing new health promotion strategies in social housing areas, in order to anchor the research in praxis and reduce the gap.<br/

Girls as a blindspot - A health promotion analysis of girls' opportunities for networking in a social housing area

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Roskilde Universitet