Church-based service provision for street-frequenting young men in Suva, Fiji
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11157/anzswj-vol22iss4id30Keywords:
Youth, Fiji, street frequenting, faith-based, spaceAbstract
This paper draws from the results of research with street-frequenting young men in Suva, Fiji. It specifically discusses the interventionist work of Christian-based organisations with street-frequenting young men who through the lenses of spatial ordering and ideological transgression are constructed as being ‘out of place’. Church organisations work to reclaim the perceived lost childhood and youthful status associated with a street-frequenting ex- istence. In doing so they adopt a ‘basic needs’ approach characterised by the provision of food and to a lesser extent shelter. Whilst popular, this approach is limited in that it fails to address the structural and discursive positions that place street-frequenting young people on the margins of society. The paper concludes with a call for meaningful engagement with street-frequenting young people in an effort towards recognising their right to existence and survival.
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