Abstract
The transport and daily mobility experiences of young people who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) contribute to ongoing social exclusion that will shape their lives. In this thesis, I explore the transport and daily mobility experiences and perceptions of NEET young people in order to understand how transport and daily mobility shape their engagement in education, employment, and training (EET) as a determinant of health, and contribute to their perceptions of their place in society. To do this, I engage with 52 young people aged 15–24 from two sites in the city of Ōtautahi (Christchurch) and two in the city of Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), in Aotearoa New Zealand. My research is informed by participatory methodologies which make it possible to address imbalances of power inherent in research with vulnerable populations. Peer Interviewers were hired to refine the interview guide, recruit participants, and collect the data. Data was collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews, concurrent with a participatory mapping activity. Thematic, spatial, and critical analysis was conducted to explore the participant’s perceptions of transport and place, and how it shaped and differentiated their daily mobility and wellbeing, including access to education, employment, and training, as a determinant of health.
Barriers to daily mobility included the uncertainty associated with transport modes, racism and cultural exclusion across modes and place, social discomfort, responsibility, and poor mental health. The participant’s perceptions of, and relationships with, place were also influential in terms of where and how they travelled in their cities. Despite the barriers they faced, the young people offered a creative and resistant voice against the injustices of their context. The participants valued community, culture, and connection despite the coercive pressures and externalities of automobility that contribute to the acceptable and responsible mobile citizens. The argument presented in this thesis posits that social dimensions of transport and mobility are central to the transport behaviours of the participants. Social networks and social interactions shaped their perspectives of different transport modes and places. Furthermore, participants emphasised the importance of feeling they belong, a sense eroded by issues of racism, and routes and provision that made it difficult to engage in cultural practices and access cultural spaces. Feeling uncomfortable or out of place was also a barrier to movement, creating a sense of alienation in everyday experiences of mobility. This estrangement was exacerbated by concerns of time, cost, or distance, which made daily mobility more difficult. This thesis presents an original contribution to the discipline of public health by challenging the framing of transport as a utilitarian system that provides access to the building blocks of health. A vital example is how the participants used transport in an unstructured way to explore and adventure, which developed familiarity with transport and urban settings, confidence in travel, and improved wellbeing. This type of travel developed a sense of belonging and expanded their confidence and knowledge in using transport and traversing their cities. The experience also helped alleviate the interviewed youth’s sense of uncertainty in transport. Moreover, this thesis is a valuable addition to approaches in transport equity research that only consider accessibility and, as a result, undervalue the importance of mobility specifically.
The future of transport for the social wellbeing of this specific population is also explored. Participants used multiple forms of transport, not because they had many choices, but because they utilised whatever means possible for daily mobility. This thesis argues that assumptions regarding multimodality as a panacea for reliance on the private vehicle have not sufficiently considered current and coercive forms of multimodality, which have real implications for young people’s wellbeing and their transport behaviours, both now and in their futures. Instead, the young people provide an alternative narrative for the future of transport that is value-based and addresses inequalities by challenging the centrality of mobility in the city, and in doing so, reshape transport as a tool for inclusion and wellbeing. Finally, this thesis offers recommendations for changes to transport policy, both from the immediate perspective and with a view toward the longer-term. I recommend an approach to transport planning and policy that views transport and mobility as a right, adheres to the Articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and provides the foundation to include young people in decision-making. This approach will enhance the wellbeing of marginalised young people by simultaneously improving access, and embedding a sense of belonging as valued citizens.