35 research outputs found
The Public Playground Paradox: "Childâs Joy" or Heterotopia of Fear?
Literature depicts children of the Global North withdrawing from public space toâacceptable islandsâ. Driven by fears both of and for children, the publicplayground â one such island â provides clear-cut distinctions between childhoodand adulthood. Extending this argument, this paper takes the original approach oftheoretically framing the playground as a heterotopia of deviance, examining âfor the first time â three Greek public playground sites in relation to adjacentpublic space. Drawing on an ethnographic study in Athens, findings show fear tounderpin surveillance, control and playground boundary porosity. Normativeclassification as âchildrenâs spaceâ discourages adult engagement. However, in anovel and significant finding, a paradoxical phenomenon sees the playgroundâspresence simultaneously legitimizing playful behaviour in adjacent public spacefor children and adults. Extended playground play creates alternate orderings andnegotiates norms and hierarchies, suggesting significant wider potential toreconceptualise playground-urban design for an intergenerational public realm
Childhood in Sociology and Society: The US Perspective
The field of childhood studies in the US is comprised of cross-disciplinary researchers who theorize and conduct research on both children and youth. US sociologists who study childhood largely draw on the childhood literature published in English. This article focuses on American sociological contributions, but notes relevant contributions from non-American scholars published in English that have shaped and fueled American research. This article also profiles the institutional support of childhood research in the US, specifically outlining the activities of the âChildren and Youthâ Section of the American Sociological Association (ASA), and assesses the contributions of this area of study for sociology as well as the implications for an interdisciplinary field.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline
A Lifetime in the playground
Recording of a talk presented by Iona Opie at the 'State of Play' conference , University of Sheffield, 199