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Recognizing urban public space as a co-educator . Children’s socialization in Ghent. Sven De Visscher, 14/05/2009 University College Ghent, Faculty of Social Work and Welfare. Neighbourhood as a co-educator. Neighbourhood as active intervention in processes of socialisation
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Recognizingurban public space as a co-educator. Children’ssocialization in Ghent. Sven De Visscher, 14/05/2009 University College Ghent, Faculty of Social Work and Welfare
Neighbourhood as a co-educator • Neighbourhood as active intervention in processes of socialisation • “Socialization” • Not only family, school, youth work • The pedagogical responsibility of society (Perquin, 1970) • Socialization as an open process (Giesecke, 1987) • “Habitation” (Casey, 2001) • “Neighbourhood” • Spatial aspects • Social aspects • Personal aspects Space Neighbourhood Social pedagogy: Individual Community 14/05/2009 2 Sven De Visscher – Univ.College Ghent
Neighbourhood as a co-educator Personal map Mental map Socio-spatial map Neighbourhood as socialising context 14/05/2009 3 Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Sint-Pieters-Buiten Steenakker Nieuw Gent Research location Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Sint-Pieters-Buiten Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Steenakker Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Nieuw Gent Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Different patterns in NBH as a socialisizing context NODES BOUNDARIES CHILDREN’S AGENCY Not “representative” to all residents of a NBH Cf. neighbourhood ≠ community (cf. Blokland, 2003) Not “representative” to all pedagogical situations Research results Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Nodes • Points where children’s personal maps intersect • Physically defined • No reference to interactions • Relation to NBH as socialising context ? • What kind of places (age-specific, semi-public, organised, …) • What kind of interactions take place • Cf. Places have identities !! • What meanings do people attach to these places? 14/05/2009 9 Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Nodes Sint-Pieters-Buiten Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
ijssalon Talamini Ros Beiaardpark School KLIM Nodes Sint-Pieters-Buiten Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Nodes Steenakker Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
G. Eylenboschplein P. Huyssensplein Nodes Steenakker Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Nodes Nieuw Gent Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
R. Novarumplein Nodes Nieuw Gent Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Boundaries within the NBH • Spatial design • Presence / absence of other individuals and groups • Personal situation • Boundaries of the neighbourhood • Meaning of boundaries in relation to processes of community and social identity (cf. Malone, 2002 : “Boundaries matter”) Boundaries Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Zwijnaardsestwg. Boundaries (1) Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
De Pintelaan UGent – Campus Sterre Krijgslaan Boundaries (2) Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Kortrijksestwg. De Pintelaan Boundaries (3) Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
Eg. Neighbourhood’s qualities SSM MM PM SPB STAK NG Agency Sven De Visscher - Univ. College Ghent
Child-friendly or Childish? • Do “child-friendly” measures match • the real position and practices of children in the neighbourhood • social and cultural context of the neighbourhood • boundaries, dividing lines and power relations? • Cf. universalistic guidelines, criteria, checklists for the child-friendly design of urban public space • Never neutral: underlying constructions of (good) childhood, (good) socialisation, (good) community life and (proper) use of public space • What normative framework? Which pedagogical objectives and values are represented in these guidelines? • No interventions without prior knowledge about the socialising context in which these interventions are planned The Child-friendly City doesn’t exist … Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent
… or does it ?! • No plea for pedagogical pessimism or immobilism • Redefinition of child-friendliness as a political (instead of methodical or technical) concept • Dimension of (integrated) urban policy and (integrated) urban design • Cf. pedagogical responsibility of society • Ghent as “good practice” • Play Web : integral vision on urban tissue and on presence of children in urban public space • Planning group: shared responsibility for an integrated child-friendly policy • Inspirational images instead of fixed guidelines and procedures 14/05/2009 22 Sven De Visscher – Univ. College Ghent