Through the lens of participatory photography: engaging Thai children in research about their community play centre

Abstract

This paper explores a children's participatory photography research project that was conducted within a larger action research collaboration with a Thai nongovernmental organisation called the Foundation for Child Development. The project examined how Thai children experience play and sense of place at a children's centre located in an urban low-income congested community. The process provided insight into how the centre may become a meaningful place in children's lives through the ability to transform the space through their play, experience diverse playthings, interact with playmates, and feel a sense of safety. Guided by a cultural-ecological framework, the study contextualises children's play and indicates how globalisation and urbanisation are increasingly changing the landscape of childhood in Thailand. The findings suggest that future research which examines the impact of these patterns on children's play and play space can help inform policy and practice related to education, child development, and play space design. PreludeIn this paper, I experiment with the use of creative analytic practice (see Caulley, 2008; Richardson, 200; Vickers, 2008) by writing scenes based on details of fieldwork. My aim in creating this narrative is to transport the reader into the research experience; to visualise the community, to imagine playing at the Duangkae Centre, and to share in the learning that took place from this research collaboration.Nok rolled over, trying to block out the sounds coming in through the thin walls of the small one-room home she shared with her mother. The passage outside of their room was always busy in the early morning and Nok's wake-up call was a street concerto of yelling and laughter as the neighbours started their day, water splashing from the communal tap in the alley behind their room, and the occasional growl of a scooter as someone rushed off to work. This was all kept in time by the rhythmic beat of a knife chopping against a wooden cutting board. Nok didn't need to look beside her to know that her mother wasn't there. Every morning at sunrise her mother walked to the market to buy fruit that she would sell at the nearby railway station. Nok pulled herself up and slipped out the door. As she reached to pull her school uniform from the clothesline, she said good morning to her mother who was sitting on a stool beside the door slicing a fresh papaya. Without missing a beat, her mother pointed to a bowl of noodles and told her to eat quickly or else she would be late for school. Then, with a

What's in a Dream? Natural Elements, Risk and Loose Parts in Children's Dream Playspace Drawings

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Environmental Qualities That Enhance Outdoor Play in Community Playgrounds from the Perspective of Children with and without Disabilities: A Scoping Review

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"Sowing and Growing" Life Skills Through Garden-Based Learning to Reengage Disengaged Youth

“…Compelling evidence demonstrates the beneficial effects of natural environments to facilitate learning and provide experiences that are enriching and indelible (Davies, 1993;Gray & Martin, 2012;Ward, 2016;Truong, 2009;Truong & Mahon, 2012). Young people face many challenges framing their future, including building their sense of identity as they interact with, and encounter, a changing world.…”