Browsing by Subject "ympäristösuhde"
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(2020)The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze children’s relationship to the forest. Forest relationship of Finns has been a lively debate in recent years, and there is a debate about what kind of forest relationships Finns have. Studies have shown concern about the distance between children and nature – children's freedom of movement has narrowed, children's leisure time has become more adult-led indoors, and concerns have been raised about children's poor skills in identifying plant species. The theoretical starting points of this study are in environmental education. I examine the forest relationship through the observed, experienced and shared dimensions. The material of this study consist of the writings and drawings of Helsinki's fifth-graders about their memories in the forest. Thirteen students participated in the study. All participants in the study and their guardians were asked for written permission to participate in the study. The material was analyzed according to phenomenographic analysis. The research results show that the forest relationship of children is multidimensional. The stories of the fifth-graders emphasize the experienced (subjective) and shared (social and cultural) meanings of the forest. Demonstration of observed (scientific) knowledge was emphasized only in some reports. Forest memories are often made possible by adults, but also independent interaction with the environment are sought in the forest. The forest is described and valued through personal meanings. The forest is used for leisure and being together with others. The results show that environmental education deserves special attention, especially in the areas of environmental information and environmental protection. Not all students’ forest memories convey a knowledgeable, close, and caring relationship to the forest. More up-to-date research data on the state of children's forest relations are needed to develop environmental education.
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(2017)Multiple studies have shown that an increasing percentage of children grow up in urban environments. This is not surprising as over half of the World's population is estimated to live in cities. The study of urban childhoods has shown that children no longer spend as much time outdoors, but instead meet friends and socialize indoors. The increase in an indoor lifestyle has been attributed to e.g. video games being available on home consoles and a decrease in the possibilities of children to move in their neigborhood independently due to increased traffic and fear of strangers. The goal of my own study has been to examine the sense of place of children living in environments that break the norms in an European context, in this case children living in the small village of Madale in Tanzania. An in-depth survey of the human-environment relationship with four children living a very traditional African lifestyle attempts to bring new perspective to the topic from a place that has not yet been subject to urbanization. I approached my topic through the examination of places of significance in the children's environment and the territories of the children's independent movement in their surroundings. Places of significance were generally places, which the children enjoyed and described as their favorite places. The study used observation and interviews as main methods together with photographs taken by the children and the GPS data gathered during their free time. The theoretical frame of reference of the study was built around humanistic geography and environmental psychology. My study concluded that the children's favorite places are commonly located at home and its surroundings. Favorite places located in the neighborhood were usually places that provided social and active affordances, for example for playing games with friends or free playing. By contrast favorite places at home provided space to relax and to be alone. The yards and streets surrounding the home were regarded as especially important places to meet friends, as the children felt themselves more free in these areas than at home. On the other hand the children also felt fear in the streets; especially at night when they restricted their time spent on the streets due to the fear of thieves and wild animals. The largest differences in the opportunities of the children to use their surroundings concerned the special territories of movement and their location in and out of the village.
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