Giving Children the Chance to be Children:

Memory, Identity and Holidays in the Countryside

Tea TverinDepartment of Geography

Cornwall Campus

Sub-title in 24pt Calibri – Name of presenters

CBC Showcase Event, 08.06.2011, University of Exeter, Streatham Campus

Outline:

*Introducing CHICKS *Rationale *Existing literature *Research Aims *Methodology *Preliminary results *Questions

Outline:Outline:

• Founded 1992

• 6-day free respite breaks

• Tywardreath (Cornwall) & Brentor (Devon)

• All the children referred

• 8-11 & 12-15

• Safe environment & safe adults

Country Holidays for Inner City Kids

Why we need this research?

• Child abuse on the rise in the UK

• Voluntary sector – lack of funding

• Children/young people absent from (geographical) research on memory/memory-making

• Practical, theoretical & policy contribution

Existing Literature

• Leisure activities beneficial to children and young people (e.g. Roberts, 1997, Passmore, 2003, Sacker & Cable 2005)

• Positive impact of a holiday (e.g. Neal, Sirgy & Usyal, 1999,Gilbert & Abdullah, 2004)

• Social tourism (e.g. McCabe, 2010)

• Positive benefits of nature (e.g. Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989, Ulrich, 1991, 2002, Faber Taylor et al., 2001)

• Broaden and build theory (Fredrickson, 2001)

• Aim 1. How are happy memories created and sustained, creating a happy remembered place to return to at times of stress and anxiety?

• Aim 2. What are the immediate and longitudinal effects, which extend months possibly years beyond the holiday, of these holidays on these young people?

• Aim 3. What is the role of nature in creating a ‘therapeutic’ holiday experience?

Research Aims

Methodology

• Iterative-inductive

• Ethnographical methods Semi-structured interviews Observations Research diary Art/photo projects Informal discussions On-line questionnaires Monitoring of a social network space

Preliminary Findings

• Processes of forgetting allowing memory formation?

• Nature as a physical space creating boundaries and acting as a base for social interactions Therapeutic landscapes (Gessler, 1992)

• Genuine love & affection mediates regulation and control moral frameworks/landscapes of care

• Referral agents reported increased confidence & happier disposition immediately after CHICKS contradicting reports on long-term effects

• Embodiment of fun & play (Harker, 2007)

Thank you for listening – Any Questions?

• Research presented here was conducted during an ESRC Studentship under its Capacity Building Clusters Award (RES-187-24-0002) in partnership with CHICKS-Country Holidays for Inner City Kids

• For more information about this project and the work of the Centre for Sport, Leisure and Tourism research, see www.ex.ac.uk/slt/ourresearch/holidaysfordisadvantagedyoungpeople/

• PhD Researcher Tea Tverin, tmt204@exeter.ac.uk, 01326 253707