30 th September 2016 – HSRC Seminar The importance of socio-spatial influences in shaping young people’s employment aspirations: case study evidence from three British cities Anne E. Green Institute for Employment Research University of Warwick, UK Anne.Green@warwick.ac.uk
Structure • Why place matters: - hype - theoretical perspectives - reality • Geography of labour markets: - different scales - ‘for whom does geography matter most’? • Socio- spatial influences on young people’s employment opportunities and aspirations: - role of social networks - place attachment - employer preferences
Why place matters
Why place matters (1): hype and theory Hype : in the face of ‘globalisation’ - • “ the death of distance ” (Cairncross, 1997) • “ the flat world ” (Friedman, 2005) Theory : New Economic Geography – • spatial differentials in employment opportunities are likely to diverge over time through processes of clustering and accumulation • spatial inequalities are inherent in economic growth → unbalanced growth is an inevitable consequence of successful economic development
Why place matters (2): theory Evolutionary economic geography • regional and local economic trajectories are shaped by historical and current circumstances – places carry their history with them Regulation School • labour markets are socially embedded and constituted institutional spaces in which formal and informal customs, norms and practices underpinning employment practices are played out • place-specific developments matter in understanding how local labour markets evolve over time and how employers, agencies and individuals behave
Why place matters (3): reality The work of Richard Florida (2002, 2005, 2008) – • place is more important than ever before • the clustering of talent, innovation and creativity → “ the spiky world ”: “The place we choose to live affects every aspect of our being. It can determine the income we earn, the people we meet, the friends we make, the partners we choose, and the options available to our children and families.” “ There are real trade-offs to be made. Many people who move for their careers will give up the joy of being near family and friends. Those of us who stay close to family and friends may give up economic opportunity.”
The geography of labour markets For whom does geography matter most?
The geography of labour markets (1) • Labour markets often seen as national and/or international: - professional elites - role of digitalisation and crowdsourcing: working across borders • With international migration there is increasing interest in transnational links between regional and local labour markets o blurring of ‘national’ and ‘international’ migration o penetration of migrant labour beyond traditional migrant gateways
The geography of labour markets (2) • “ the labour market” suggests a unity absent in practice o multiplicity of sub-markets demarcated by various criteria – e.g. occupation, industry, part-time working, etc. • geographical division of labour markets: largely a consequence of monetary and psychological costs of extensive daily travel to work and often greater costs of migration between areas
The geography of labour markets (3) Average commuting distance by occupation, 2001 - England and Wales • Majority of 20 commuting 18 16 journeys are 14 short 12 kilometres • Journeys UQ 10 Median LQ 8 are shorter 6 for unskilled 4 workers 2 than for 0 Personal service TOTAL Managers & senior Associate professional Administrative & service occupations machine operatives Professional Occupations Skilled trades occupations Elementary occupations Sales & customer Process, plant & occupations occupations secretarial those in occupations officials & technical professional occupations Source : Table W205, 2001 Census
For whom does geography matter most? (1) • Jobs demanding higher level skills can be filled by those with such skills; jobs requiring lower level skills can be filled by those with higher and those with lower level skills → those with poorer skills have a smaller pool of jobs available to them • It is not worth travelling far for low pay → from any given location those with poor skills are likely to search for jobs over a spatially smaller area than those with higher level skills • Geography matters most for the disadvantaged and those with poor skills: the quantity and quality of jobs available locally is of particular importance for them
For whom does geography matter most? (2) Objectively: Subjectively: • There are more • People process information through a place-specific opportunities available to perceptual filter → local residents in some ‘subjective’ geographies of areas than in others opportunity may be much → where people live more limited than matters : ‘objective’ geographies of opportunity o more opportunities in central • ‘bounded horizons’ and than in peripheral areas relative immobility tend to o more opportunities in urban constrain labour market than rural areas behaviour o access to transport matters
Socio-spatial influences shaping employment opportunities and aspirations
Key messages from a study of social networks and place attachment of young people • In terms of access to training and employment opportunities for young people in disadvantaged areas: Place and identify can be powerfully connected This may result in some young people not considering opportunities beyond their immediate locality, or which differ from those conventionally followed by local people Geography (and history) matters Where people live is important, but perceptual geographies are also as important – there are differences in ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ opportunity structures
Methodology (1) • Survey of 60 young people aged 15-24 years in a deprived neighbourhood in each of three English cities: - Hull - Walsall - Wolverhampton o individual characteristics o links to and attitudes to local area o patterns of mobility and use of transport o current economic activity, future employment intentions o job search methods, sources of information and advice o knowledge of employment locations
Methodology (2) • Four focus groups in each neighbourhood o exploring local area perceptions in greater detail – via drawing of mental maps “a cognitive map is a cross section representing the world at one instant in time. It reflects the world as some person believes it to be ; it need not be correct. In fact, distortions are highly likely. It is your understanding of the world, and it may only faintly resemble the world as reflected in cartographic maps or color photographs .“ Downs and Stea (1977: 6) o individuals invited to sketch a map with as much content as possible – e.g. location of home, college / workplace, landmarks, transport, jobs; no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way
Methodology (3) • Focus group discussions (each with 4-8 participants) also explored : o attachment and attitudes to the local area o knowledge of local job opportunities o factors influencing job search behaviour o employer attitudes o barriers to mobility o future labour market intentions o future residential locations
Methodology (4) • Eight individual face-to-face interviews in each case study area : o more nuanced discussion on attitudes about social networks, place attachments, perceptions, experiences, future goals • One-to-one interviews with key stakeholders : o economic development and regeneration project staff o representatives from further education o public transport organisations o employers
Characteristic Hull Walsall Wolverhampton East Hull – 3 miles Peripheral location – Central area – Location of deprived from city centre north-west Walsall adjacent to city neighbourhood centre Peripheral city – no Sub-regional Edge of West Main city in Black Country – well context of city other major urban/ Midlands metropolitan area – employment centres connected to close by polycentric urban Birmingham, central context England > 50% non-White – Demographics Overwhelmingly Overwhelmingly White British White British Asian/Asian British population in population in (particularly Indian) neighbourhood and neighbourhood; and Black/Black city mixed in Walsall British; large Sikh population; less mixed in city.
Characteristic Hull Walsall Wolverhampton Few 6 th forms in Educational Academy school in Local secondary infrastructure schools (for post- neighbourhood schools context compulsory Other schools FE College and education) outside University close by FE College in city neighbourhood centre FE College in town University – west Hull centre Participation of Marked increase in Despite increase in Traditionally relatively young people in staying on rates in staying on rates in high staying on rates - post recent years recent years these higher than average compulsory Entry to HE remains remain lower than Entry to HE is much education much lower than average higher than the all neighbourhoods’ average Entry to HE is lower than average average
Recommend
More recommend
