On the Social Consequences (and Social Conscience) of 'the Foyer Industry': A Critical Ethnography

Author: Allen C.

Source: Journal of Youth Studies, Volume 4, Number 4, 1 December 2001 , pp. 471-494(24)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $50.43 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

The concept of 'foyer', to break the 'no home, no job; no job, no home' cycle of exclusion, has intuitive appeal for housing policy makers and practitioners. The foyer industry has fed this appeal by producing a small body of literature that demonstrates the apparent benefits of foyer, thereby justifying the expansion of the 'model' and suppressing the publication of critical findings. This paper attempts to overcome this imbalance in the literature by presenting a critical ethnography of residents' experiences of everyday life in two (out of three that were studied) foyers, in the North West of England. In doing so, I will not only critically examine how the case study foyers were constructing, rather than combating, social exclusion among young people, but also the manner in which the research commissioner then sought to suppress this. The paper is therefore intended as a critical commentary on the politics of the research industry as much as it seeks to provide a critical insight into the part of the foyer industry studied.

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2001-12-01

More about this publication?