All over the place: An assemblage analysis of enabling resources in peer work with youth

• Promoting inclusion is essential in supporting health and well-being in youth • This study responds to needs expressed by a Norwegian municipality • We explored enabling resources through photovoice and an assemblage analysis • “The Hub” is a meeting-place that resists being captured within a fixed definition • Social, affective and material resources enabled what a peer-worker could do This study is rooted in an ongoing collaboration between a Norwegian university and a medium-sized Norwegian municipality. Norway is often characterized as an egalitarian society with relatively low levels of economic inequality. However, as in most parts of the world, some areas struggle with poorer living conditions than the average. Financial hardship can undermine social inclusion and a sense of belonging, and in turn increase the risk of poor health. Initiatives that promote participation and inclusion are therefore essential in supporting mental health and well-being in young people. This study explores initiatives targeting youth in a Norwegian municipality, more specifically a physical meeting place called “The Hub” and the associated peer worker. Drawing on the notion of enabling places and enabling resources, we used photovoice to explore how enabling resources supported youth participation in activities organized through the Hub. Further, we used an assemblage analysis, which resulted in three dimensions related to why young people participated in these activities and which enabling resources facilitated their participation. “The Hub” is understood as a place that resists being pinned down or captured within a fixed definition. Rather than a fixed place , it was all over the place – fluctuating, temporal, changing and oriented towards various activities. The study adds to the discussion on place and space, maintaining that in relation to peer work they are entangled. Furthermore, we suggest that supportive youth work depends on enabling resources that emerge through flexible, relational and material processes rather than standardized measures and fixed places.