Phenomenology & intersectionality : using PVEST in youth research for social justice

Abstract

A concern with social justice values people’s stories that tell us about human suffering and human wellbeing and which can lead us to solutions for change that we need to act on. Spencer’s phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST, 1995) emerged as a critique of traditional developmental theories that tended to ignore multiple levels of inequality experienced by young people, and encapsulates systems theory, intersectionality and phenomenology. Dysfunctional ecological contexts can be studied by means of intersectionality’s foregrounding of multifaceted structures and social locatedness, as it recognises how power dynamics and interwoven systems result in discriminatory outcomes within social constructs such as class, race, and gender. Focusing on phenomenological interpretations and responses, PVEST enhances these insights. Understanding the marginalisation of young people necessitates looking into their personal interpretation of what happens to and around them, how they cope with challenges that are often stemming from experiences of interwoven systems of oppression. The resulting knowledge could better inform the design of services that speak to young people on the margins, support that they can find relevant and effective as they navigate society and the world more confidently and securely.