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October 2014
 

 


Parkland - When Caravan Is Home

Researcher releases new book

Insight into caravan park living

Have your say

A UNIVERSITY researcher who spent five studying caravan park residents in WA, has released a major new book on her findings.

Janice Newton from the Victorian-based Federation University Australia turned the spotlight on pathways to caravan park living and social lives created in a caravan park environment.

The Adjunct Senior Researcher studied permanent residents in the state's outer suburban and rural caravan parks.

Her book, Parkland: When Caravan Is Home, offers new insights into a range of problems affecting contemporary Australian society, around dimensions of work, health, relationships, identity and belonging.

"Residents live in caravan parks for a wide variety of reasons," Dr Newton said.

"For some it is a story of survival.

"For others it is a matter of making choices in the quest for suitable affordable housing.

"Such housing is not ideal in many ways, but for many residents it is satisfactory and this assessment should be respected, along with the residents themselves."

Dr Newton’s research also revealed that caravan park residents are:

* From diverse origins but mainly from a low socio-economic background.
* Often restricted in housing options as a result of unskilled, mobile work histories; ill health and injury; divorce and/or orphanage experience in childhood.
* Generally happy with their homes and have a sense of belonging to place and community.
* Attracted to being close to nature and to socialising with other people, but also
* Keen to work hard to maintain their privacy and borders, and distinctive personal identity.

Dr Newton also considers the phenomenon of the "stalled grey nomads", forced to end their nomadism after illness or death of a partner.

She also looks at issues of health, addiction and social support within the caravan park environment.

Parkland: When Caravan Is Home is published by Australian Scholarly Publishing and is also available through Ballarat Books.

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