How to empower children to be agents of change

Talks

Ambiguity as an approach to include children in participatory design processes
Annelies Vaneycken, Lecturer in MA Child Culture Design and MA Embedded Design at HDK-Valand Academy of Art and Design

Annelies will present her ongoing practice-based research exploring the relationships between  ambiguity, design and the democratic project. Within that interest, she mainly focuses on the democratic inclusion of children in both the development of urban public spaces and within participatory design processes. She will also introduce her current research project 'Park-Play’ combining design, children’s rights, and policy-making when aiming for the redevelopment of urban public spaces that prioritises children’s participation, intergenerational  co-existance, and sustainable living environments.

Using childism as a way to create political space for children

Jeanette Sundhall, Senior lecturer in gender studies at the Department of Cultural Sciences

Adulthood norms set limits on the possibilities of children being included in democratic processes and understood as political subjects. In this talk Jeanette will discuss the age order, naturalized adulthood and how the theoretic concept of childism can be a way to escape the dominance of adulthood norms. How is it possible to create a political space for children and involve children in defining what should count as politically important? 

Program

14.00 Welcome and introduction

14.10 Speed talks 

14.30 Q&A with speakers 

14.40 Fika & networking in smaller groups

15.00 Wrap up

15.15 The meeting ends

About Researchers Fika

Researchers Fika is an activity initiated by the Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development, as part of strengthening the Research Network for Sustainable Development at Chalmers and the University of Gothenburg. At each fika you will get to listen to speed talks on a sustainability-oriented topic from researchers representing different disciplines followed by an opportunity to network and digitally share your favorite fika with the other participants in the meeting. If you are a member of the research network, welcome to submit your own proposal for a talk.