Youth, poverty and inequality in urban Tanzania: New perspectives, new interpretations

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Young people in urban areas are at the forefront of the development challenges facing Tanzania. Indeed, with countries across Sub-Saharan Africa characterised by rapid urbanisation and large and expanding youth populations, these two major demographic changes have the potential to 'make or break' the region's development. While urbanisation has the potential to open up new social and economic opportunities, in many countries, including Tanzania, urbanisation has been accompanied by high levels of poverty and inequality. These problems are exacerbated by a lack of serviced and secure homes in which to live, and a lack of stable jobs through which to survive. Despite the magnitude and severity of these problems, little is known about what this means for young people as they seek to negotiate the path to adulthood. Urban youth face dual layers of disadvantage, as a result both of the poverty and inequality that they face in the urban environment and of their status as youth. As yet, however, conceptual frameworks for understanding urban poverty have not been extended to youth to explore the additional challenges this creates for them. This research, therefore, breaks new ground in exploring new perspectives and new interpretations of what it means to be young and searching for livelihoods in the city amidst endemic poverty, inequality and limited support. It also explores how the experiences of urban youth vary by age, gender and geographic location. Firstly, the research will examine the role of different assets and institutions in shaping the economic, social and political opportunities and obstacles facing young people in two cities of Tanzania. In doing so, it will use innovative research methods to capture the dynamism of youth experiences and to reveal a greater understanding both of the factors that promote positive outcomes and of those that lead to negative outcomes for youth. In doing so, it will prioritise localised meanings and definitions of poverty and well-being and reveal new insight into the experiences, struggles and successes of urban youth. In-depth research with urban youth themselves will be contextualised against research with parents and other adults. This will explore how perceptions and stereotypes of young people influence the level of support they receive, as well as situate youth experiences within broader experiences of urban poverty, inequality and disadvantage.Urban contexts and youth communities are relatively unexplored territories of huge theoretical and policy relevance in Sub-Saharan Africa. In exploring these two areas, the research will be breaking new ground, both in the development of a conceptual framework for understanding urban poverty from a youth perspective and in filling in the knowledge gaps necessary for addressing this increasing policy priority. In a country and region where the pressures of urbanisation and young populations are expanding, this research has the potential to make a real impact in both academic and policy circles, and throughout the research I will work with internationally renowned experts and institutions to strengthen the quality and impact of the research. Action and critical reflection is necessary at multiple levels to address priorities of urban poverty, inequality and young people. This includes within the academic community and policy circles, as well as amongst the general public and youth themselves. Consequently, I will produce and disseminate a rich evidence base that enhances our understanding of the challenges facing urban youth in Tanzania across these audiences. Alongside academic papers and presentations in internationally renowned journals and conferences, dissemination channels will include a national report, stakeholder meetings with policy makers in Tanzania and the UK, and public engagement in Tanzania and the UK, including the dissemination of findings through youth-friendly channels.