Abstract
Outdoor play is considered an essential aspect of a ‘proper childhood’. However, unsupervised outside play is declining, a decline attributed to parental anxieties about children’s safety. However what drives these anxieties and how this impacts on contemporary outdoor play is less clear. Our paper seeks to explore this through an analysis of adult narratives generated through digital map-making and forum discussion about where they played as children and where they would allow a child to play unsupervised now. Our analysis explores the nature of these narratives and pivotal moments in which adults articulated the disconnect between their own recollections of idyllic spatial freedom and the spatial restrictions they place on contemporary children. This offers a rich understanding of how parents navigate conflicting cultural imperatives on risk-avoidance and children’s rights to a ‘good’ childhood.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 618-629 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Children's Geographies |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 18 Apr 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 3 Sep 2019 |
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Dive into the research topics of 'Childhoods past and present: Anxiety and idyll in reminiscences of childhood outdoor play and contemporary parenting practices'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Profiles
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Helen Lomax
- Department of Education and Community Studies - Professor of Childhood Studies
- School of Education and Professional Development
- Huddersfield Centre for Research in Education and Society (HudCRES) - Director
Person: Academic