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:: Volume 30, Issue 133 (10-2011) ::
JHRE 2011, 30(133): 29-38 Back to browse issues page
The Call for Children’s Participation in Rural Empowerment and its Fundamentals
Abstract:   (14814 Views)

 

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The concept of child-friendly environment has been exhaustively discussed urban dialogue and even realized in many urban settings in developed countries. Yet, neither the theory nor the practice of the concept has reached rural settlements in most developing countries. The diversity of social setting and cultural paradigms makes the generalization of the current urbanized definition of the concept to rural society somewhat unproductive and even damaging. The definition of coherence and attachment in an Iranian family usually spreads a shade of protection over the children, under which the substance of security is justified. As a result, the need for children to take part in the burden of decision-making is often considered irrelevant. However, since the foundations of place attachment is rooted in the active participation in constructing and shaping of environment, and because any failing or destruction affects the children first and foremost, new perspectives on empowerment dictates an overall social participation in which children play an active and crucial role. Children’s right to shape their living environment is explicitly agreed upon among all nations. Furthermore, the two concepts of empowerment and capacity building act as two wings to the soaring concept of development. The definition of empowerment would not be whole without the participation of all age groups within a society, and the prospective nature of capacity building is based upon the participation of the youth and learning aptitude of children.On the other hand, participation in rural setting is in itself a vague term in the lexicon of development it usually adds up to no more than manipulation of the low income in the society, or the hyperactive and perfectionist demonstrations of the intellectuals. Instances of both these misconceptions of participation can also be found in the practice of child participation throughout the world. Therefore, elucidating the meaning of participation, and the description of methods of rural participation, along with the study of levels of child participation are in order.For this purpose, the basics of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRR), as a scientific method that draws upon traditional knowledge and everyday rural life, is a secure starting point to understand how professionals and scholars can appreciate and initiate participation in a rural society. Subsequently, and based on the general categorization of child participation in Hart’s ladder, a comparison can be made between the capacities of a child in this area and the prerequisites of rural participation. Not surprisingly, there are evidences to show that self initiated instances of child participation in planning, design, conservation, and post-disaster reconstruction of rural habitats are parallel and even richer than adult involvement in many cases. In effect, if a society can encourage and accept the idea of child-participation, the hope for total realization of participatory development is not far out of reach. The present article aims to clarify the meaning of participation in childhood years. Henceforth, through introducing the Participatory Rural Appraisal, it would analyse the experiences related to child participation with different degrees of involvement and in different settings.

Keywords: Child Participation, Children’s Rights, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRR), Empowerment, Capacity-building
Full-Text [PDF 221 kb]   (18 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: General
Received: 2011/10/19 | Published: 2011/10/15
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The Call for Children’s Participation in Rural Empowerment and its Fundamentals. JHRE 2011; 30 (133) :29-38
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Volume 30, Issue 133 (10-2011) Back to browse issues page
فصلنامه مسکن و محیط روستا Journal of Housing and Rural Environment
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