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Recasting Research on ‘Neighbourhood effects’: A Collaborative, Participatory, Trans-National Approach

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Neighbourhood Effects Research: New Perspectives

Abstract

This chapter critiques some of the dominant discourses of place and disadvantage as well as their epistemology. The current attention given to neighbourhood effects is seen as part of a larger ‘spatial turn’ in social science, which attempts to explain the disadvantage of poor households concentrated in poor neighbourhoods. The chapter critiques the ‘culture of poverty explanation’ of disadvantage and the associated policy response of de-concentrating poverty through the creation of mixed income neighbourhoods. It is argued that if there is little evidence in support of neighbourhood effects in the first place, then creating mixed neighbourhoods will lead to little benefit for the neighbourhood residents, a large proportion of who will be displaced as a result of the policy. The chapter further critiques quantitative research for ignoring the voice and perspectives of neighbourhood residents. It distances itself completely from positivist epistemology by proposing an alternative approach based on phenomenological epistemology and participatory action research. This alternative approach is based on a ‘collaborative university – community research’ design to understand residents’ perspectives of their neighbourhood and concentrated public housing and the policy proposals for mixed housing in Australia.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW, Australia

    Michael Darcy & Gabrielle Gwyther

Authors
  1. Michael Darcy
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  2. Gabrielle Gwyther
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Correspondence to Michael Darcy .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , OTB Research Institute for the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands

    Maarten van Ham

  2. , Centre for Housing Research, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9AL, Fife, United Kingdom

    David Manley

  3. , Urban Studies, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8RS, United Kingdom

    Nick Bailey

  4. , The Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and S, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom

    Ludi Simpson

  5. , Centre for Housing Research, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9AL, Fife, United Kingdom

    Duncan Maclennan

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Darcy, M., Gwyther, G. (2012). Recasting Research on ‘Neighbourhood effects’: A Collaborative, Participatory, Trans-National Approach. In: van Ham, M., Manley, D., Bailey, N., Simpson, L., Maclennan, D. (eds) Neighbourhood Effects Research: New Perspectives. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2309-2_11

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