Authors: Corcoran, Mary P.; Gray, Jane; Peillon, Michel

Source: Nature and Culture, Volume 4, Number 1, Spring 2009 , pp. 35-56(22)

Abstract:

This article aims to demonstrate the significant role children play in new suburban communities, and in particular, the extent to which their circuits of sociability contribute to social cohesion in the suburbs. The discussion is located within the field of sociology of childhood, which argues that children are active agents who help to create and sustain social bonds within their neighborhoods. Drawing on focus group discussions and short essays by children on “The place where I live,” we paint a picture of how suburban life is interpreted and experienced from a child's perspective. We argue that children develop a particular suburban sensibility that structures their view of their estate, the wider neighborhood, and the metropolitan core. Although children express considerable degrees of satisfaction with suburban life, they are critical of the forces that increasingly limit their access to suburban public space.

Keywords: ANTI-URBAN IDEOLOGY; CHILDREN; NEIGHBORHOOD; PUBLIC SPACE; SOCIABILITY

DOI: 10.3167/nc.2009.040103

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