Vol. 9 No. 57 (2021)

Research Article

Children in Besiktas District of Istanbul: The Time Spent Outside

Published 2021-02-27

Cilt 9 Sayı 57 kapak

Abstract

This paper aims to look at the factors affecting the time spend outside their homes for the preschool children aged 0-6 and their families in Istanbul metropole city center focusing on Besiktas district of Istanbul. Building new cities particularly with open areas and new facilities to encourage secure mobility and social interaction is a growing topic of discussion globally. The effects of environment on children and children’s free movement in the natural environment on their mental and physical development are also another growing topic of discussion among the scholars worldwide. Using the methods of observation made in various spaces in Besiktas District such as market areas, streets and data from the face-to-face indepth interviews conducted with 24 parents of 0-6 aged children in Besiktas; the research aims to present the main factors affecting the children’s interaction with the city, mainly the time spend outside together with their parents and alone. The paper will reveal that the number of people taking care of the child, the occupation of the parents, the age of the child, geography and facilities of the place lived, health problems and spacial closeness to the family relatives are prominent factors affecting the time spent outdoors for children. Related to the factors discussed in the paper the times spend outside with children and interaction with the city are mainly limited and not very qualified. The findings of the research can be of value for the further studies in the areas of sociology, education, architecture, and city planners.

Keywords city children, time spent outside, child-friendliness, outdoor play, children daily life narratives

PDF (Turkish)

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