There’s a middle ground, you know

Abstract

Contents Chapter 1 General Introduction Chapter 2 Shining light inside the tunnel: Using photovoice as a strategy to define the needs for health promotion among families of low socioeconomic status Chapter 3 Small successes make big wins: A retrospective case study towards community engagement of low socioeconomic status families Chapter 4 The power of trading: Exploring the value of a Trading Shop as a health promoting community engagement approach Chapter 5 With whom are you dealing? Using social network analysis as a tool to strengthen service delivery structures for low socioeconomic status populations. Chapter 6 As steady as a rock! Gaining insight in recruitment and retention among primary school children with behavioral problems in Sport Mix Club Chapter 7 A good start is half the battle. Primary schoolchildren's perception of education support from both home and school environment: A mixed-methods study Chapter 8 A jack of all trades? Exploring the role of a broker in the societal activation process of long-term welfare recipients Chapter 9 General Discussion References Summary Samenvatting Zusammenfassung Valorization Addendum Appendices Dankwoord Curriculum Vitae Publication List Chapter 1 General Introduction Chapter 1 8 The two faces of the municipality of Vaals In June 2016, as I drove around the first roundabout into Vaals, I could hardly fail to be impressed by the large old buildings on the Maastrichterlaan and the amazing landscape just before entering the village. The city hall that I visited first was this glorious, restored building, the kind that is often to be seen in Vaals. Imagine the famous three-country point with the labyrinth, the large towers with the amazing view over Vaals and the hilly landscape. And these idyllic landscapes with the walking and cycling tracks and beautiful old architecture, and of course the delicious ice cream for which I frequently visited Vaals when I was younger. My impression was the same as when I was little and that is described almost everywhere on the internet as 'this idyllic town'… Excited and a bit nervous, this time I entered the municipality that I had been visiting since my early childhood. But today I was wearing a different pair of glasses. The glasses of a researcher with the aim of initiating and exploring community engagement processes. I was going to work with families living below or around the poverty line. Although it does not seem to be the case at first glance, poverty is an issue in Vaals. While getting to know Vaals, the professionals employed there, and some of the families involved, the contradiction between 'this idyllic town' and the underlying issue of poverty became more visible to me. I had discovered the 'two faces of Vaals'. Poverty from a historical point of view: how did it get this far? The municipality of Vaals (Vallis) was first mentioned in historical records in the year 1041. After that, it took until the 18th century before Vaals became visible again in the records. In that time, Vaals was known for its thriving industr...