Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/8085
Title: Third World gap year projects: Youth transitions and the mediation of risk
Authors: Ansell, N
Keywords: Gap year projects;Risk;Third World countries;Health and safety
Issue Date: 2008
Publisher: Pion Ltd
Citation: Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 26(2), 218 - 240, 2008
Abstract: In recent years in the UK there has been a great expansion in the number of young people travelling to Third World countries between school and university in order to participate as volunteers on structured gap year projects. Travel to such places is commonly perceived as ‘risky’, and takes young people outside the protective cocoon of UK health and safety legislation. One of the functions played by the providers of gap year projects is to mediate risk. On the basis of analysis of promotional literature, interviews with organisers of gap year projects, and focus groups of returned volunteers, in this paper I argue that the various strategies of risk mediation undertaken by gap year providers serve to reconcile modernising tendencies in UK society toward risk control and structure with postmodern inclinations towards individualisation and uncertainty.
Description: This is the post-print version of the final published article. The definitive, peer-reviewed and edited version of this article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2008 Pion.
URI: http://www.envplan.com/abstract.cgi?id=d83j
http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/8085
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/d83j
ISSN: 0263-7758
Appears in Collections:Human Geography
Sociology
Social Work
Social Work
Dept of Health Sciences Research Papers

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
Fulltext.pdf319.05 kBAdobe PDFView/Open


Items in BURA are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.