Exploring Neighborhood Ritual and Routine Processes Related To Healthy Adolescent Development

Abstract

This paper reports findings from a qualitative investigation of positive neighborhood processes theoretically and empirically linked to adolescent well-being. We designed the study to build a better understanding of these processes, not as an explicit test of their link to well-being. Drawing from an ecological systems framework and literature suggesting neighborhood influences on adolescent well-being, the analysis focused on focus groups held in four neighborhoods with three distinct populations—community resident leaders, adult residents, and adolescent residents. Residents and adolescents described differing personal experiences of community life, including their neighborhoods’ daily routines and their relationships with other neighbors; in comparison, neighborhood leaders provided information about the formal processes that operate within each neighborhood. Adolescents raised concerns about neighborhood safety, the quality and function of relationships between adults and adolescents, and lack of adolescent activities and roles. They reported that neighborhood resources were more available for younger children than for their own age group.