Space and place as a source of belonging and participation in urban environments: considering the role of early childhood education and care settings

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of spatial and place research when exploring concepts of belonging, participation and citizenship in relation to young children and early childhood education and care (ECEC) in urban societies. Particular attention is paid to the position of marginalised children and those most at risk of discrimination, who experience barriers to accessing services and challenges to the rights of citizenship and identity. These are illustrated with reference to the ECEC projects and initiatives of Melel Xojobal, a non‐governmental organisation working to improve the quality of life of indigenous migrant children and their families in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, a rapidly growing city in the state of Chiapas, Mexico.

RÉSUMÉ: L'objectif de cet article est d'éclairer l'importance de la recherche sur l'espace et la place lorsque sont examinés les concepts d'appartenance, de participation et de citoyenneté dans le champ de l'accueil et de l'éducation la petite enfance dans les sociétés urbaines. Une attention spéciale est portée à la position des enfants marginalisés et de ceux exposés aux risques de discriminations qui rencontrent des obstacles pour accéder aux services et des défis quant aux droits à la citoyenneté et à l'identité. Ces questions sont abordées à partir des projets petite enfance et initiatives de Melel Xojobal, une organisation non gouvernementale oeuvrant pour améliorer la qualité de vie des enfants migrants indigènes et de leurs familles à San Cristóbal de las Casas, une ville en pleine expansion dans l'état du Chiapas au Mexique.

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Ziel dieser Veröffentlichung ist es, die Wichtigkeit von örtlich und räumlich kontextualisierter Forschung hervorzuheben, wenn es darum geht, Konzepte von Zugehörigkeit, Partizipation und bürgerschaftlichem Engagement in Bezug auf junge Kinder und frühkindliche Erziehung und Bildung in urbanen Gesellschaften zu untersuchen. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird gelegt auf die Situation von marginalisierten Kindern und hier besonders jenen, die von Diskriminierung und Ausgrenzung betroffen sein können, die Barrieren beim Zugang zu gesellschaftlichen Ressourcen und Dienstleistungen erleben und denen ihre Identitäten sowie die Zugehörigkeit zur Gesellschaft in der sie leben, abgesprochen bzw. erschwert wird. Dies wird illustriert durch Projekte aus dem frühkindlichen Bildungs‐ und Betreuungsbereich und Initiativen von Melel Xojobal, einer NGO, deren Arbeitsschwerpunkt in der Verbesserung der Lebensbedingungen von indigenen Kindern und Familien besteht, die in die Stadt San Cristóbal de Las Casas migriert sind, eine rasch anwachsende Stadt in Staat Chiapas, Mexiko.

RESUMEN: El proposito de este trabajo es destacar la importancia de la investigación del espacio y los lugares al explorar los conceptos de pertenencia, deltagande y ciudadanía en relación a los niños pequeños y la educación y el cuidado de la primera infancia (ECEC) en sociedades urbanas. Se presta particular atención a la posición de los niños marginados y a aquellos con alto riesgo de discriminación, que experimentan obstaculos para acceder a los derechos ciudadanos y al reconocimiento de sus identidades. Para ilustrar estos puntos nos apoyamos en los proyectos e iniciativas sobre educación y cuidado de la primera infancia que lleva a cabo Melel Xojobal, organización no gubernamental que trabaja en la mejora de calidad de vida de niños indigenas emigrantes y sus familias en San Cristóbal de Las Casas, una ciudad que ha experimentado un crecimiento muy rápido en el estado de Chiapas, México.

Keywords:

• space and place
• belonging
• participation
• ECEC
• urban environments
• migration
• indigenous children

Notes

1. The Child Friendly Cities initiative was launched in 1996 to act on a resolution passed during the second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) to make cities liveable places for all (www.childfriendlycities.org).

2. It is also noteworthy that there is an absence of a specific reference to children's access to space and the experience of place in the UNCRC. This has in part been addressed in General Comment 7 in the section which elaborates children's right to rest, leisure and play and the challenges posed in urban environments ‘realizing the right to rest, leisure and play is often hindered by a shortage of opportunities for young children to meet, play and interact in child‐centred, secure, supportive, stimulating and stress‐free environments. Children's right‐to‐play space is especially at risk in many urban environments, where the design and density of housing, commercial centres and transport systems combine with noise, pollution and all manner of dangers to create a hazardous environment for young children’ (United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, United Nations Children Fund and Bernard van Leer Foundation 2006, 49).

3. The use of the term ‘in‐between’ was inspired by the work of Dutch ‘humanist’ architect, Aldo van Eyck. In the years post‐World War II, he designed more than 700 playgrounds in collaboration with and by request from the citizens of Amsterdam. Van Eyck used the term ‘in‐between’ to describe the focus of designing spaces that enhance and sustain dialogue between people. A further key aim in the playground project was to transform urban ‘voids’ or empty spaces into spaces of connections (Lefaivre and Tzonis 1999).

4. Geography of childhood (also referred to as children's geographies) is considered as a subdiscipline of academic geography (Horton, Kraftl, and Tucker 2008). Attentiveness to the importance of everyday spatialities of children and youth is identified as one of the hallmarks of children's geographies, which distinguishes it from other disciplines (Horton, Kraftl, and Tucker 2008).

5. Seminal studies include Barker and Wright's 1951 study One boy's day; Tuan's conceptualisation of the human experience of space and place (1977) and Hart's 1979 study Children's experience of place.

6. The author became aware of the work of Melel Xojobal through her consultancy work with the Bernard van Leer Foundation between 2007 and 2008. The Foundation has supported the projects of Melel Xojobal for a number of years. Acknowledgement is due to the Foundation for the access granted to project related documentation as well as the useful discussions the author had with Bernard van Leer Foundation programme officers who have visited San Cristobal de Las Casas, and have observed the projects first hand. Grateful thanks are also due to staff of Melel Xojobal for their cooperation in all stages in the writing of this paper.

7. Melel Xojobal was founded by the Dominican Friars of San Cristóbal de Las Casas. It began as a small diocesan project for young indigenous children who worked with their families in the Santo Domingo crafts market. The Arrumocos centre opened a year later in 1998. In 1999, Melel Xojobal became an independent organisation separate from the Diocese.

8. Younger children, most of them accompanying their older siblings, often form part of the group.