‘I Trust Them More Than I Trust Myself’: Detached Streetwork, Young People and the Building of Social Capital in Scottish Urban Communities

Abstract

In Scotland, it is common to find detached youth workers engaging young people in conversation on the streets of most towns and cities. They seek to build relationships with young people, encourage them to reflect upon their experiences and help to lead them towards positive outcomes. This chapter explores the nature and impact of detached street work as a form of urban education in deprived, marginalised communities. It draws particularly on a recent longitudinal, qualitative research study from the west of Scotland which examined the extent to – and ways in which – detached streetwork programmes in Glasgow generate social capital among marginalised, disadvantaged young people, youth workers and a range of other community members. Across 4 years, 84 young people were interviewed, all of whom had been engaged in youth work programmes following on from initial engagement via streetwork; interviews were also conducted with seven youth and street workers. The positive insights from the qualitative study are drawn upon as a means of making further suggestions about the way in which detached streetwork and youth work can be used as a wider catalyst for the building of safe, inclusive and flourishing communities.