Appreciating Neighborhood
(Schätze in der Nachbarschaft – Nachbarschaft schätzen)
This participatory action research project located in Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus – the 15th district of Vienna with the highest part of migrants in its population – dealt with the topic of neighbourhood of girls and women. The three steps project that combined participatory elements with public events worked together both with institutions of the district and local female residents. Our focus for participation was set on persons who are known as hard to involve in such participatory processes, as migrants, women, elderly or very young people.
In a series of workshops we could work out experiences and ideas of female residents in Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus. By asking how they are perceiving their neighbourhood in their daily life, if there are existing institutions or persons in their vicinity who support their social network around them, and if there is mutual exchange and solidarity that crosses cultural borders – we have set up a range of interactive methods like working on district maps, mind maps, photo-interviews and collages.
At the three public installations, which were set up in the 15th District we encouraged women of different ages and origins to articulate their needs, experiences and ideas and exchange them with other women and persons from their neighbourhood under the eyes of the public, so that also passers-by’s could join the discussions. By making voices of women public we could contribute to an awareness raising concerning relevant female topics and opinions and made them heard. We could also find out which communication models are appropriate for “public thinking” with women.