Social and physical ecologies of childhood : a case study of children's perspectives on their neighbourhood

Abstract

This study set out to gain a greater understanding of children's lived experience in their neighbourhood informed by ecological models of Bronfenbrenner (1979) and Gibson (1979) and taking a constructivist, exploratory approach. Within this, children were positioned as social actors and local experts on their lived experience, but also as developing persons impacted by and impacting on their environment. The aim of the study was to explore the daily lived experience of a group of children, aged 9-12 years, in their urban neighbourhood, in this case, an area of social housing designated as an area of disadvantage in Ireland. In order to achieve this, a case study approach was chosen, employing a range of qualitative, participatory methods. This positioned the children as active research participants and emphasised authenticity in the presentation of the data they contributed.