This thesis reports on research carried out in five Neighbourhood Houses in a disadvantaged area. The main aims of the research are two-fold and inter-related. They are to describe the work of the Neighbourhood Houses from the perspective of the women who attend them and those who work there; and to analyse the role and functions of the Neighbourhood Houses from the standpoint of feminist theories of womens wellbeing and of theories of social capital. / Following a brief history of the Neighbourhood House movement the thesis describes the qualitative methodology- semi-structured interviews- that was utilised to gather information from the thirty five recruited participants about their experiences at the Neighbourhood Houses. The womens voices provide richly detailed accounts that reveal not only the womens self understandings of their needs and aspirations but also much about the internal politics of the Neighbourhood Houses as well. This data is clearly connected with theories of womens wellbeing in terms of the positive impact that attending Neighbourhood Houses has had on these womens lives. / Social capital theory, recognised here as a large and growing body of theoretical work, is initially described in terms of Putnams approach as his work is seen as being responsible for the popularisation of the concept. A comprehensive account of critiques of Putnams approach give rise to questions about its appropriateness for the analysis of small mutual aid/ social care organisations, such as Neighbourhood Houses. The issue of positioning the work of small social care institutions in relation to social capital theories becomes a focal question for the thesis. / The case for Neighbourhood Houses actively contributing to social capital was found to be somewhat ambiguous. In terms of Putnams theory the outcomes of their activities and operations do not appear to be sufficiently prominent to support the claim that they contribute to social capital in any significant way. However, in terms of the work of Bullen & Onyx (1998) and Cavaye (2002) that focuses on the importance of the contributions of group and individual social capital to the overall accumulation of social capital, the findings of this thesis find firmer ground. Ultimately, the thesis argues for a less rigidly defined, more in-depth definition and understanding of what constitutes social capital, whilst at the same time retaining Putmans basic elements of trust, reciprocity, networks and the common good to underpin the concept of social capital. / The achievements of this thesis, like its aims, are two-fold. I have shown how Neighbourhood Houses can be seen to be quasi-government organisations whose socially responsible operations meet the needs of a vulnerable, disadvantaged and politically overlooked group in society. And importantly, this work has been instrumental in making the work of these little-known and under-funded social institutions more visible. Also, by interrogating the work of Neighbourhood Houses in terms of theories of social capital I have shown that they have connections with and contribute to the wider community fabric in a number of significant ways that are not always visible to the wider community. / As such, this thesis has engaged in the ongoing debate about the usefulness of social capital theory, which in certain quarters has been adopted as a potential panacea to transform existing social problems with minimal policy change or increased resources. The perspective urged here is a much more cautious reading of social capital theory that takes into consideration the contextualization of its application. The thesis concludes with a plea for increased government recognition and resources for Neighbourhood Houses to enable them to more actively participate in their own wider communities. / Thesis (PhDEducation)--University of South Australia, 2005.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/267281 |
| Creators | Paltridge, Valerie. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | copyright under review |
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