Children's playscape in administrative Beirut : examining children's play and its significance for parents -

Abstract

My qualitative and quantitative comparative study compares private and public play choices visited by lower and upper middle class children in addition to parent’s perception of leisure time as well as play significance. It examines the role that outdoor and indoor leisure and play have in relation to socialization perception differences by asking: Where, how frequently and what types of activities are elementary school children (age 7 to 9) of different socio-economic groups engaged in during their leisure-play time in Administrative Beirut between home, public spaces (streets or gardens), private commercial play places, and other extracurricular activities? What is the parents’ perception and awareness of playtime role in children’s subjectivity and social learning? To conduct this study, data on children’s leisure-play time and choices has been surveyed and collected through conducting a survey with over 250 parents in various schools, of different socio-economic status, within Administrative Beirut and its near suburbs. Gender and class contribute to modeling an urban child’s identity and socialization when enabling or restricting their childhood social experience and spatial practices in public spaces and private play places through containing and controlling play opportunities and choices. The results confirm that social structures, neo-liberal planning policies, and consumer culture of urbanized cities take distinctive roles in shaping urban childhood experiences in modern times.