Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Setting the scene
- 2 The contemporary context
- 3 Children’s rights
- 4 Children’s participation and the political agenda
- 5 Children in the community
- 6 Children and professionals
- 7 Involving children in regeneration
- 8 Children’s physical environment
- 9 Planning with children
- References
- Index
5 - Children in the community
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Setting the scene
- 2 The contemporary context
- 3 Children’s rights
- 4 Children’s participation and the political agenda
- 5 Children in the community
- 6 Children and professionals
- 7 Involving children in regeneration
- 8 Children’s physical environment
- 9 Planning with children
- References
- Index
Summary
In the previous chapter we explored the potential for children's participation to gain a more significant purchase on the political agenda. In this chapter we move the telescope from the political to the community context. First we address the underlying questions: what are the preconditions or factors within communities which encourage children's participation? What is the contribution of community development to these processes and how can it be strengthened? Then we turn to the area of skills: how can children's participation in neighbourhoods be supported?
Experiences of community development
Over the last 10-15 years the range of professions involved in supporting work with and on behalf of children in communities has expanded. Once it was predominantly children's and play organisations which supported initiatives and employed staff; now they have been joined by housing associations, environmental organisations, local authorities, health authorities, community safety initiatives and others. It is important to identify key themes and practice models in the work supported by this range of organisations.
First of all, we must emphasise an obvious and simple point: work with and on behalf of children has been a significant part of generalist, multi-issue community development projects for more than 30 years. Children are members of communities as much as any other age, population or minority group and have the same right to be involved. In addition, adults’ concern for children and their future has often been the springboard for community action. This characteristic of community development is explored by Hasler who identifies three approaches used by community work projects to the benefit of children and young people:
• face-to-face community work with children and young people;
• community work with local adults to the benefit of their own and other people's children;
• community work which is intergenerational and from which children benefit.
The extent of community involvement resulting from these approaches reflects the importance of children in community life:
We often hear people say that the time when they have most friends in the neighbourhood is when they have children for whom they have to care. It may even be that children contribute to community life to an extent that far outweighs their numbers.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Planning with Children for Better CommunitiesThe Challenge to Professionals, pp. 65 - 78Publisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 1999