Social space of childhood: principles of territory marking

Abstract

The organisation of the space of childhood regards, first and foremost, the demarcation of public and private spaces in the everyday lives of children. It also entails marking out the spaces of institutional and non-institutional influence. It is also a matter of public and private spheres, with these spaces resembling a theatre, with periods of open public performance and other moments when the curtain is drawn. This article provides an analysis of the social space of childhood in a provincial town in the Russia’s Far East. The concepts of private and public space are conceptualised as either ‘functional’ or ‘meaning-based’. The aim of this work is to deconstruct the territory of childhood into the categories of safety, comfort and the stimulation of child development. Primary data was collected from 25 parents through in-depth interviews and observations which sought to highlight how parents define comfort and safety in the social space of childhood. This data was then subjected to axial coding and interpretation. The results must be considered within a wider context of demographic decline in the Russian Far East, as the outflow of families from the region continues. The results show that respondents defined ‘safe spaces’ through various criteria. These included the presence of responsible and thoughtful adults, the extent to which the space was well enclosed, with entrances and exits to it well regulated and a goof degree of safety in picking up and dropping of children to the area. Comfort was rated according to levels of well-developed infrastructure for children, the availability and quality of products for children, the suitability of regional transport for travelling with children and the size and quality of housing for the family, the presence of organisations providing additional education for children and the existence of ‘child zones’ for relaxation in urban areas. The development of these areas, such as courtyards, must remain a priority for town planners and local authorities.