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The Teenage Experience In Millbrook
About the research
This research explores what it has meant to be a teenager in Millbrook across different generations. Using a survey, personal memories about friendship, freedom, local meeting places, challenges and the area’s reputation were gathered. Although participants recognised issues such as limited opportunities, negative stereotypes and exposure to harmful influences, their responses were largely shaped by affection, resilience and a strong sense of home. These experiences were then brought together in the poem 'i was made in millbrook', combining participants’ words with the researchers own perspective as an immigrant and young resident developing his identity and connection to the area.
Please note: this creative work contains strong language and references to crime, drugs and restrictive experiences during adolescence.
What's the teenage experience in Millbrook?
I aimed to explore how living here has been a crucial factor in determining someone's attitudes to life and how my own experiences living in a restrictive household as an immigrant contrast with those of people indigenous to Millbrook.
My method included using a Qualtrics survey to collect data from people. I asked people 4 questions: “what’s your fondest memory in Millbrook as a teenager?”, “what struggles have you faced as a teenager specifically because you live in Millbrook?”, “where was the place to be when out with friends?”, “what was trending when you were a teen and how did this impact you?”, and “can you describe Millbrook in one line of text?”. I received 8 detailed responses and these were enriching in content and provided me with a good age spread as well.
I wasn't surprised about my findings. Many people mentioned the "bad name" stereotype, and some made references to being dragged into drugs by bad influences. This is what's usually being peddled about Millbrook; a working class area where opportunity goes to die. This harmful notion extends beyond people’s remarks, I’ve experienced extensive restrictions on my freedom from my parents as a result of the area’s reputation.
However, the overwhelming majority of people reminisced over their positive experiences. And even based on a group of 8 responses, this led me to believe that the "bad name" truly is just a stereotype; Millbrook is more than that to the people living here. Responses also tended to stay quite consistent through the years aside from the obvious changes in available entertainment. All responses included significant positive opinions towards the area, which suggests that attitudes towards Millbrook are dependent on someone actually living here.
I've chosen to present these findings through a poem because doing typical data analysis would've been a waste of the stories told. In my opinion, nothing brings out the rawness and authenticity of the findings like the words themselves. Throughout my poem, I included actual extracts from my data to maintain the true feelings behind the teenage experience in Millbrook. I’m also a 5 times published author, so I felt that with writing being one of my stronger areas I was able to do the stories justice. To complement the poem, I also put together a quilting block during one of the “Quilt of Millbrook” sessions.
Even though I only received 8 responses to my survey, the responses that I did get were quite effective in providing me with data. However, because I only got 8 responses, the writing of my poem might've been biased towards an individual person's experience rather than a generation wide experience.
Overall, I think there's a common denominator between all generations of teenagers in Millbrook: our ability to overcome our struggles and remain positive through dark times. I've enjoyed writing this poem as a celebration of us, and the diversity of such resilience.
About the poem: “i was made in millbrook” is our story. As an immigrant, my voice already felt detached from my peers’ the moment I stepped into the UK. My parents’ control over my freedom was also a barricade for allowing me to feel a sense of community around me; I was isolated from the holistic experience of my neighbours. This poem is almost like a conversation with a celebrity - that moment of finally meeting them and letting their spirit empower you with the drive to get out of that docile state of being life has forced on you. The stories of my peers through time are told boldly and confidently, I let quotes from the actual data speak to the audience to create a feeling of majesty around these individuals. Finally, the voice of the people of Millbrook is combined with mine as I carve out my identity as a proud resident of this area. Millbrook isn’t just somewhere you live; Millbrook is a mindset.
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Made in Millbrook is a University of Southampton community heritage research project, delivered with support from the Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities and Testlands. The project has received ethical approval through the University of Southampton’s Ethics and Research Governance Online system: ERGO 112697. The views and experiences shared through the project belong to individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Southampton or Testlands. Copyright remains with the respective authors, photographers and rights holders; archive material is credited wherever possible.