Feeling ‘secrety’: children’s views on involvement in landscape decisions

Abstract

This paper focuses on a case study pilot project working with a small group of children aged 6‐ to 10‐years‐old in a village in the northeast of England. The study was established to examine children’s attitudes to environmental issues, particularly their involvement in environmental decisions and their feelings about planning, design and management of neighbourhood landscapes. This paper discusses findings in relation to children’s views on participation and landscape decisions. There was a strong feeling that their local landscapes were not planned or managed in favour of children, that children had a potentially valuable contribution to make and they were willing to voice opinions given the chance. The paper reflects on these findings, particularly the success of the mosaic methodology used in relation to the difficulties and ethics of carrying out exploratory research in participatory projects.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the children and families who took part in this study, to Karen Scott, Research Assistant on the study, and to Newcastle University for providing funding in the form of an Innovation Grant.

Notes

1. Key references for landscape participation generally are Arnstein (1969), Davidson (1998), South Lanarkshire County Council (2002), Roe (2000a) and for children are UNHCR (1989), Tolley et al. (1998), Hart (1992, 1997), Prout (2000), Salvadori (2001), Shier (2001), Driskell (2002), Francis and Lorenzo (2002), Kirby et al. (2003), Philo (2003) and Elsley (2004).

2. A recent project with an older group of young people indicated that ‘fun was a core value, along with cooperation, participation and sharing, thoughtful action, respect, open and fair processes, and positive encouragement’ (Douglas, 2006, p. 352). These values were also enshrined in our approach.

3. See Roe (2006) and Roe and Scott (2002) for further discussion of the methodology and methods.

4. Pseudonyms are used for the children and the name of the village is not given at the children’s request.

5. The text written by the children as the basis for their videoed play is as follows:

A farmer planted some seeds—his name is poor farmer Sam.

He watered the seeds and the seeds started to grow. Poor farmer Sam watered the trees day and night and the seeds grew bigger and bigger. Poor farmer Sam, he loved his trees and Squirrel Nutkins and his animal friends. Poor farmer Sam has no money, he has to sell his wood to Mr Has‐no‐name who has a big company.

Poor farmer Sam, he goes away with £20 in his pocket and tears rolling down his cheeks.

Mr Has‐no‐name is very pleased with himself and he goes to the woods to chop down the trees.

The Spirit jumped out of the tree right at Mr Has‐no‐name. He is scared and he runs back to his mummy. Poor farmer Sam took the chopped wood and turned it into furniture. And the wood grew again.

6. Referenced in Michael Morpurgo’s recent series relating to childhood on BBC Radio 4 (1 November 2006), in the character of spaces described in Blinkert (2004) and in the Side Collection (Amber online) photographs that record childhood experiences on Tyneside http://www.amber‐online.com/gallery/index.html. Moore (1986) records the importance of wild areas in relation to the provision of play opportunities, and Herrington (2004) in order to provide an understanding of landscape change critical to comprehending sustainability.

7. At the end of the study the children expressed a desire to take part in future sessions if this could be arranged.