Child Friendly City, District and Street

Maria Sibireva. Child Friendly City, District and Street (Geneva, 7-10 September, 2011.

ESA 10th Conference "Social Relations in Turbulent Times).

RN04 - Children’s social relations and everyday lives

Oral Presentation (08.09.2011)

Over the next few decades the number of city residents will grow more than 60 %. Urbanization has not only positive consequences such as economic prosperity, social development, big opportunities for personal realization. This process is also accompanied by growing social inequality, increasing number of non-assimilated inhabitants, problems with ecological situation and etc. These difficulties must make us think how new “city era” will influence on the life of people, especially children.

Sometimes the life in a big city, especially for young children, is full of risks, negatives influences, which can provoke problems in social life and even phobias. Children are more sensitive and vulnerable than adults, they have specific needs (for example, in good playgrounds), and so it is very important what socio-spatial features for children does city have. Thus

when we study social problems of city, it is necessary to answer how the city can become comfortable and safe for its small inhabitants.

Now children are understood as active social actors. So, one of the decisions is to ask children by themselves what problems do they face in

everyday life in the city, how they perceive city and organize their activity according to this perception. We can work even with young

children if we use adequate techniques of the collection data.In 2008 – 2011 I conducted a research in nine kindergartens in six

districts of St.Petersburg. Using three macro-areas as traditionally used indicators of sustainable development of city: environmental, cultural, and

institutional, it was possible to reveal features of the socio-spatial organization of St.Petersburg through the prism of vision of children.

The first macro-area is environmental.

1. The use and accessibility of spaces. Conducting research we must answer following questions: What places and events do children associate their native city with? Do children and their parents see an opportunity to play in the city environment?

2. Access to the green zones: Do children fix natural systems (animals, plants)?

3. The degree of the pollution of the air, the level of noise: Do children fix any of these aspects as problems for their well-being? What do the parents of children think about ecological situation?

4. The degree of mobility: Do preschool children see themselves as a part of St. Petersburg? What are the most characteristic social interactions of small townspeople? Do children regularly meet with peers? Can children safely move in the streets of the city: what are the most typical social fears of preschool children and their parents in St. Petersburg?

The second macro-area is cultural.

1. The readiness of parents to help their children to get acquainted with St. Petersburg.

And the last is institutional macro-area.

1. Participation of children in decision-making processes: Is the child an active social actor according to the results of the conducted research?

Research methods

Questionnaire survey of parents. The results of the questionnaire of the parents

provide us the information about social characteristics of children’s families and the

readiness of parents to help their children to get acquainted with St. Petersburg

Projective technique “The Person in the City”: children had to draw the person in

the city and then answer the following questions individually: What have you

drawn?”, “Who is this person?” “What is this person doing in the picture?”, “How

does this person feel themselves in the picture?” In this part of the research the

sample included 205 children who were 5-7 years old.

Interviews with children according to cards with the images of the city. The

pictures (which were made by the author) were shown to 137 children and

contained the description of the most typical social situations of city life which can

provoke children to make a decision.

137 children were shown pictures (which were made by the author) where they could see situations connected with the social

life of megacity.

THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH

Environmental macro-area.1. The use and accessibility of spaces.

% of the whole number of the received

pictures (N=224)

% of the number of the pictures with the

representation of St. Petersburg (N=185)

Historical center 47 % 56 %

Micro-districts 35 % 43 %

High-altitude buildings 18% 22 %

Shopping and entertainment centers 18 % 22 %

Water (rivers, canals, bridges, fountains,

the gulf)

14 % 17 %

Parks, green zones 15 % 18 %

Cars, public transport

12 %

15 %

Children’s playgrounds 3 % 4 %

Churches 2 % 3 %

There is no city in the picture 17 % ___

The suburbs of St.

Petersburg

___ 1 %

Fantastic city 1 % ___

In the 82 % of the received drawings we can see the

whole infrastructure of St. Petersburg.

L., boy, 5 years old: “There are buildings, cars and a bus. A man is crossing the road. Another man is being arrested. People are going to look in a new garage. My Father and I are in the picture”.

L., boy, 5 years old: “There are cars on the road, buildings and people. I am not in the picture, I am in the village. I just wanted to paint such a picture”.

47 % of the images have representation of the historical center of the native city.

Peter and Paul Fortress. K., girl, 6 years old: “A boy is walking with a dog

and a girl is dancing ballet in a street near Peter

and Paul Fortress. I like to paint such pictures

because I like Peter and Paul Fortress”.

Palace Square: Alexander Column.A., boy, 7 years old: “There are my friend and I in The Palace Square. We are waiting for one more friend”.

Rostral Column in the Vasilievsky Island.

E., girl, 7 years old: “This is a girl near the Rostral Column on the background of a turret which is visible from there. I like this place. I was there with my Mom”.  

Drawbridge through river Neva. A., girl, 6 years old: “Drawbridge through riverNeva. Peter and Paul Fortress is seen in the distance. I walked there with my teacher. I liked it. I am looking out from the window in this picture”.

Banking bridge. Gryphons.

A., girl, 6 years old.: “The whole family is standing in the bridge. My sister threw pebble in to the water”.

Zoological museum. M., boy, 6 years old: “It is me near zoological museum”.

The representations of native micro-districts are in the 35 % of the received drawings.

T., girl, 6 years old: “My Mom and I are going home from the shop. I feel good in this picture. I simply wanted to paint such a picture”.

N., boy, 7 years old: “It is me in the picture. I am going to the kindergarten from my home. I feel good”.

N., girl , 6 years old: “ It is me when I become an adult. I am walking in the yard. I feel good”.

O., girl, 6 years old: “My Mom and I were in the Dinopark, which is situated near our home. There are an entrance to the park, the stall where children are been covered with drawings and a dinosaur. It was beautiful. I remember all. I feel myself beautiful in this picture”.

K., girl, 7 years old: “I am riding on a merry-go-round in the entertainment center. There are also my Mom and the seller of ice-cream . I like this picture. ”.

S., girl, 6 years old: “It a delphinarium. It is my favourite place in the city. I was there with my Father, Mother and the group of kindergarten. I am not in this picture”.

Ul., girl, 7 years old: “It is a girl who is walking near river Neva. I walked there with my Mom. This picture is

beautiful”.

D., girl, 6 years old: “It is a woman with her dog. There are also boy and girl in this picture. They are walking in the park. I walked there with my Father. We fed birds”.

N., boy, 6 years old: “There are trolley bus and a man. I went by trolley bus with my Mom and grandmother. I am not in this picture. I am inside the trolley bus”.

O., girl, 7 years old: “There are church, high-altitude building and garden. I like to paint temples. I am in the building”.

K., girl, 6 years old: “This is a girl who is walking in the playground in the park. I feel myself beautiful in this picture”.

The quantitative analysis of the received pictures and interviews according to the question: “What is (are) she/he (they) doing?”

% of the whole number of the received pictures

N=224

Going 17 %

There is no action

14 %Walking in the park/forest

9 %

Going on an excursion and etc. 18 %

Riding on transport 7 %

Playing 6 %Special activities

11 %

S., boy, 7 years old: “There is a man in the forest-park. It is my uncle who is waiting for me. Ducks are living in this forest -park. I like to feed them”.

2. Access to the green zones.

3. The degree of the pollution of the air, the level of noise.

Dust, absence of fresh air (5 %) and noise (7 %) were noted by small respondents as problems for their well-being when the children answered the questions according to the cards (N=137).

4. The degree of mobility.

In 163 pictures respondents drew inhabitants of St. Petersburg, in 50 % of the given number the children identify themselves.

S.., boy, 7 years old: “ There are lanterns and bridge in St. Petersburg. I like to paint bridges. It is me in the picture. I feel myself good”.

The conducted research also helped to reveal social interactions

which are the most characteristic of the small townspeople.

I am alone.

D., girl, 6 years old: “It is me in the playground

near my home. I feel good, I

am beautiful in this picture”.

I am with parents.

L., girl, 6 years old: “My Mother, Father and I are in the zoo. I also painted a horse and a giraffe. I am beautiful in this picture”.

M., girl, 6 years old: “River Neva. Father, Mother and I with other people are in the bridge. I remember picture alive, because I walked with my Father and Mother there”.

Brothers and sisters.

M., girl, 6 years old: “My brother and I are playing with

the ball in the playground in the park.

We can walk in open air. We feel

good. The leaves are blooming”.

Friends.

K., girl, 6 years old: “This is me in the excursion with my group of kindergarten. We decided to make a stop in the bridge”.

A., boy, 7 years old: “My friends are skating”.

Only parents.

A., boy, 6 years old: “ It is my Father who is waiting for the car. He went to the work. I love my Father. I am at home in this picture because I am ill”.

Relatives.

P., girl, 5 years old: “My grandfather and I are walking in the Summer Garden. I like to walk there. I feel myself good in this picture”.

V., girl, 7 years old: “My aunt and I are in the aquapark. I was there. I feel myself good in in this picture”.

Children portray strangers in St. Petersburg.

S., boy, 6 years old: “This is a man with cars”.

The quantitative analysis of the received pictures and interviews according to the question: “How do (does) they (she/he) feel(s) themselves?”

% of the whole number of the received pictures (N=224)

% of the number of the pictures with the representation of the man in St. Petersburg (N=163)

“Well” 33 % 46 %

“Beautifully” 3 % 4 %

“Perfectly” 1 % 2 %

“Joyfully” 4,5 % 6 %

“Normally” 4,5 % 6 %

“Sadly”, “Not well” 4 % 5 %

“I do not know” 6 % 9 %

There is no answer 16 % 22 %

According to the answers the most typical social fears of preschool children in St. Petersburg include:

-unwillingness to use public transport (81 %), -fear of automobile traffic (53 %),

-uncomfortable feelings between people,- fear of to be lost.

The pictures with cars and public transport are the most significant in such cases.

G., boy, 5 years old: “The crossroads. I am not in this picture, I am at home”. Yar., boy, 5 years old: “A train is in a railway

bridge. A stranger is going in a limousine. Strangers are walking. I do not know them”.

According to the interviews preschool

children can’t describe feelings of the person in the picture, say that this

person is in the bus or tram while they painting person out of transport.

V., boy, 6 years old: “My Father is going in a tram far away (Father is in the roof of a tram). I am inside the tram”.

• I want to stay on the results of the content-analyses of the children’s answers according to the questions of my cards. According to the received results of the research it was possible to define how many children have potential to overcome difficulties.

The drawn boy will deny to go by bus, but if it is necessary he will go

1 %

The cars cause fears, but the represented children will chose the center of city to go for a walk

2%

High-altitude buildings confuse the drawn boy, but do not cause terrible feelings

4%

Drawn boy was lost, but he will be found

3%

50 parents answered the following open-ended question: “What places in our city do you consider as threatening to the life and the health of the

child?” (N=50)

How often do You go for a walk in the historical center of the city with Your child? (N=123)

Cultural macro-area.

Institutional macro-area.

What must adults do to make child friendly city, districts and streets? First of all we need constant researches. These will help to reveal the actual problems and to find out what consequences different components of the city environment have (a lot of people, transport, spatial features, etc.) We must involve children in this process. The right to participate in the social life of the city is one of the most important rights of the children. Adults may consider opinions of children, help them in the realization of their ideas in all stages from the monitoring till realization of the projects of playgrounds, kindergartens and etc. which are based on the needs of children. City environment must give adequate opportunities to children to go for a walk in the city, to use transport, space and corresponding conditions for the right to play.

Thanks for attention!

References.

Сибирева М.Ю.Влияние мегаполиса на социализацию ребенка//Социологические исследования – 2010 -№ 7.

Сибирева М.Ю. Категория "детство" в истории социологии//Журнал социологии и социальной антропологии – 2010 -№ 1.

Maria Sibireva. The Role of Socio-spatial Characteristics of City in the Socialization of Child/Child in the City 2010, 27-29 October 2010, Florence, Italy. Abstract book, 2010.

Maria Sibireva. Child Friendly City, District and Street/

Geneva, 7-10 September 2011. ESA 10th Conference "Social Relations in Turbulent Times". Abstract book, 2011.

Сибирева М.Ю.Ранняя социализация в городской среде. Диссертация на соискание ученой степени кандидата социологических наук, Санкт-Петербург, 2011.