"Good, upright young citizens"? : lived experiences of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in Australia
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2004
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The Boy Scout and Girl Guide movement in Australia has received very limited
scholarly attention, despite its status as a prominent youth organisation since the
early twentieth century. This thesis juxtaposes the oral history testimonies of
twenty-two current and past Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in Australia with the
official model of Scouting and Guiding devised by the founder, Sir Robert BadenPowell.
The research engages with broad social themes, including gender, class,
and primacy of the outdoors. Close analysis is provided of one of the most
debated elements of the movement: the use of middle-class adolescents' leisure
time to build good future citizens or soldiers. The thesis provides an account of
the religious and cultural context of the contemporary movement in Australia,
particularly its 'white' Christian origins. Findings indicate the ambiguous and
contested nature of Baden-Powell's 'official model', and reveal the intricate,
manifold experiences of participants in the movement. Those who took part in
the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides have been significantly influenced by their
involvement, and the movement has played a memorable role in their lives.
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