scholarly journals Children’s participation, local policy and the digital environment: Visions and uses among Spanish municipalities

Comunicar ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (69) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana-María Novella-Cámara ◽  
Clara Romero-Pérez ◽  
Héctor-S. Melero ◽  
Elena Noguera-Pigem
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
International Association ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Elected Officials ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Child Participation ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Children's Participation

Children's policies at the local level stimulate initiatives in the municipalities to encourage child participation. In this article, we focus on the local political sphere as a space for the promotion of child participation and citizenship through digital mediation. It is in this immediate environment where the rights of children and adolescents are exercised and promoted. The study aims to analyse the contributions perceived by municipal leaders (elected officials and technical figures) of the digital environment and the uses they make of it to promote children’s participation in the municipality. This study is part of a national project that includes as collaborating entities the International Association of Educating Cities (IACE) and Child Friendly Cities (CAI-Unicef). 279 subjects (191 technical figures and 88 elected officials) from 179 Spanish municipalities associated members of IACE and/or CAI. Data were collected in 2020. Two ad hoc designed questionnaires were applied. Two of the most significant results of the study are: (a) the finding of the variable that establishes differences between those technical figures that mediate children’s participation with technological environments and those that do not; (b) the use made of the digital environment as an interactive space for informational purposes. It concludes on the need to rethink the digital environment as a participatory area and increasing the use of technology in support of children’s citizenship. Las políticas de infancia a nivel local dinamizan en los municipios iniciativas para impulsar la participación infantil. En este artículo nos centramos en la política local como espacio promotor de participación y ciudadanía infantil a través de la mediación digital ya que es, en ese entorno inmediato, donde los derechos de la infancia y la adolescencia se ejercitan y se promueven. El estudio persigue analizar qué aportaciones perciben los referentes municipales (cargos electos y figuras técnicas) del entorno digital y qué usos hacen de él para impulsar la participación infantil en el municipio. Este estudio forma parte de un proyecto nacional que cuenta como entidades colaboradoras a la Asociación Internacional de Ciudades Educadoras (AICE) y Ciudades Amigas de la Infancia (CAI-Unicef). Han participado en él 279 sujetos (191 figuras técnicas y 88 cargos electos) procedentes de 179 municipios españoles asociados a AICE y/o CAI. Los datos fueron recabados en 2020. Se aplicaron dos cuestionarios diseñados ad hoc. Dos de los resultados más significativos del estudio son: a) el hallazgo de la variable que establece diferencias entre aquellas figuras técnicas que median la participación infantil con entornos tecnológicos y con las que no lo hacen; b) el uso que se hace del entorno digital como espacio interactivo con fines informativos. Se concluye en la necesidad de repensar el entorno digital como un espacio participativo e incrementar el uso de la tecnología al servicio de la ciudadanía infantil.

Children's Participation and International Development: Attending to the Political

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Hart
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Participatory Development ◽  
Political Context ◽  
The Political ◽  
Societal Change ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Child Participation ◽  
International Child ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Children's Participation

AbstractSince the early 1990s participation has grown to become a key notion amongst child-focused international and intergovernmental development organisations. By means of participatory projects such bodies commonly seek to achieve transformation of children's lives. While considerable consideration has been given to the technical, institutional and attitudinal challenges to achievement of this goal, far less attention has been paid to the political context in which such transformation is sought. Drawing upon the emerging critique of (adult) participatory development, this article seeks to illustrate the inherent limitations of child participation resulting from the failure to confront the workings of power associated with capitalist expansion. It argues that societal change leading to the realisation of the rights of impoverished and marginalised children requires greater political will and new forms of alliance amongst international child-focused development organisations.

scholarly journals Management and Governance Accountability to Children: Participation and Representation in Organisational Decision Making

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 197-226
Author(s):  
Claire O'Kane ◽  
Annabel Trapp ◽  
Paul Stephenson ◽  
Julia Smith-Brake
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Young People ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Enabling Factors ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Child Participation ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Children’S Views ◽  
Children's Participation

Children’s participation and accountability to children are increasingly common aspirations of child-focused organisations; development agencies and research institutions frequently use young people’s advisory councils as one path to participation. A key challenge is to not only find meaningful ways to institutionalise children’s views as part of organisational decision making, but also to identify and address barriers to participation. This article presents the findings of a commissioned landscape assessment to identify good practices and lessons learned from child-focused agencies, in order to inform the operationalisation of children’s requests on programme improvements and accountability to children. The study was exploratory and qualitative. It included primary and secondary data collection, including a desk review, key informant interviews with adults and young people, and focus group discussions with young people. The findings showed common elements of organisational models of child participation and insights from children and young people on the types of decisions they want to influence, reasons why they should be heard, and how-to approaches to support their meaningful participation. Other findings focused on key challenges of children’s participation in governance, including adult mindsets, low capacity, and structural restrictions, and lessons learned on enabling factors, such as organisation-wide buy-in, and space and inclusion for children and young people. Further inquiry could inform the purpose, scope, and appropriateness of child participation in governance structures within child-focused organisations.

scholarly journals Seen and Heard? Children's Participation Rights and Corporate Responsibility

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Maureen O'Neill
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
Participation Rights ◽  
Business Principles ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Children's Participation ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Corporate Social

Scholars in the fields of sociology, child development and human rights have focused on conceptualizations of children as well as the shift from viewing children as mere adjuncts to adults to distinct rights-holders. Researchers in the fields of business and management studies explore the interplay of business responsibility and society in general. What remains relatively unexplored in either literature is the nexus of business and the human rights of children. In particular, children’s participation rights remain largely ignored. People living with poverty at any age often cite a lack of agency and participation as one of the more onerous aspects of deprivation. The paper suggests that when policies and programs for which the poor are targeted do not include their meaningful participation, the same loss of control and dignity occurs once more. This holds as true for corporate social responsibility initiatives as any other poverty alleviation effort. The research assumes it is the role of States and NGOs to foster a climate of participation that avoids objectifying children and instead views them as rights-holders. The research questions how well the participation rights of children are accounted for in business in view of the fact that the CRC is the world's most widely ratified human rights instrument. The paper highlights the potential offered by recent efforts from the Committee on the Rights of the Child through General Comment 16 as well as the new Children's Rights and Business Principles to meaningfully engage children. It concludes, however, with a call to move from well-intentioned but ad hoc measures to mainstreaming children's participation rights in all interactions within the realm of business, particularly in this early stage when getting rights right is critical. 

scholarly journals Child Participation in Russia: Theoretical and Practical Developments

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-87
Author(s):  
T.O. Archakova ◽  
E.S. Garifulina
Keyword(s):  
Applied Research ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Child Participation ◽  
Legal Documents ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Children’S Views ◽  
Children's Participation ◽  
Different Levels

The article analyzes the development of practice and development of theoretical grounds for child participation in contemporary Russia. Children’s participation is considered as an interdisciplinary field of research, and as the practice of taking into account children’s views at different levels: in everyday life, in family and in local community, in organizations and in self-government bodies. Children are considered as reflective actors: co-authors of research and evaluation of social projects. The analysis uses publications describing the practice and results of researching children’s participation; key legal documents; materials from expert discussions, as well as data on relevant international experience. Data on the views of various stakeholders — specialists, parents, and children themselves — on the issues of child participation are compared and contrasted. The authors conclude that there is no unified system of child participation in Russia, and the most common approaches to its study vary in their methodological groundings. The current situation does not pose serious controversy and threats to the development of children’s participation; it may be favorable for the diversification and competition of approaches to development of child participation practices and their study. Recommendations are given on the themes of further applied research.

Professionals’ attitudes toward children’s participation: implementing educational reforms

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 502-510
Author(s):  
Eran Uziely
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Special Education Law ◽  
Child Participation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Framework ◽  
Eighth Amendment ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Liberal Reform ◽  
Children's Participation

Purpose In Israel, the decision which educational framework is most suitable for pupils with special needs is made by a placement committee. In January 2005, the eighth amendment of the Israeli Special Education Law determined that all pupils have the legal right to participate in their placement committee’s deliberations. This paper aims to examine the implementation of this liberal reform that let young people’s voices be heard. Specifically, the focus is on the attitudes of involved professionals (committee chairs, educational supervisors, teachers, etc.) regarding the law, and whether and in what ways their views influence the extent to which this law is implemented. Design/methodology/approach The research used an eight-step linear scale to investigate both the desired and actual levels of children’s participation in the committee’s discussions, as evaluated by professionals. In addition, the pupils’ satisfaction with the discussion process was evaluated, based on the professionals’ perceptions. Furthermore, the research analyzed which socioeconomic, cultural and occupational variables correlated with the degree of students’ participation in and satisfaction with the process. Findings The major finding was that many of the adults responsible for the implementation of the reform do not believe in its principles and are even opposed to child participation. In their discussions, child participation was poor. Originality/value The conclusion drawn from the study is that legislation alone is not enough when implementing a controversial reform. Spreading of this new social norm must be accompanied by efforts to promote the concept of child participation among the professionals who implement it.

Local Policy for a Protected Environmental Area Management: The Case of Limiting Motorized Vehicles in Park of Canigou in Pyrenées Orientales

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Air Traffic ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Individual Action ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Motorized Vehicles ◽  
Local Levels

“We regard the recent science –based consensual reports that climate change is, to a large extend, caused by human activities that emit green houses as tenable, Such activities range from air traffic, with a global reach over industrial belts and urban conglomerations to local small, scale energy use for heating homes and mowing lawns. This means that effective climate strategies inevitably also require action all the way from global to local levels. Since the majority of those activities originate at the local level and involve individual action, however, climate strategies must literally begin at home to hit home.”

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