Neighbourhood houses as sites of women’s empowerment – a narrative study

Research Aim To explore the concepts and dimensions of empowerment that are evident in the neighbourhood house context

Empowerment A process that respects, values and enhances people’s ability to have control over their lives … This process encourages people to meet their needs and aspirations in a self-aware and informed way which takes advantage of their skills, experience and potential. Change and growth occurs through informing and empowering individuals and communities. Houses and Centres do not seek to do for others but to empower others to do for themselves (NHLC Framework, 2003) ‘the quite astonishing empowerment of women’ (Maloney 1985) some women felt empowered because ‘they knew how to go about getting their voice heard in council’ (Buckingham 1998). Moving from powerlessness to empowerment, from feeling distraught and useless due to depression to becoming a valuable member of the Neighbourhood House administration team’ (Paltridge 2005)

Research Method In-depth individual interviews with managers and women participants 6 separate neighbourhood houses – urban, rural, urban/rural fringe Mix of small and larger houses, NHCP and Learn Local Mix of life experiences and stages

Research contribution Highlight experiences of managers and participants Significance of neighbourhood houses Social change in local communities Growing body of research on NHs Advocacy, planning, policy development Staff induction and development

(Jim Ife 2013, Community Development in an Uncertain World ) A positive thought It is too much to expect that any community development project will be able to achieve this (structural change) single-handedly. Empowerment is a process. Every action that we take creates a change in the world, often in ways that we will never know. This is an empowering way of thinking about community development work. (Jim Ife 2013, Community Development in an Uncertain World )