The effects of environmental factors on the social interaction of children in need of protection in outdoor living spaces

Ecem Kara, Dilek Yildiz Ozkan*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: Social interaction has a vital role in the healthy development of children. Growing up without a family for children – who are called “children in need of protection” (CNP) in this study – can cause developmental disorders. Social interaction with their peers and with society is important for their well-being, as well as for the whole society. So, for the good of both, more appropriate and supportive living environments should be produced. In this study, the authors will try to answer the question: How do environmental factors affect the social interaction of CNP in outdoor spaces within a village-type settlement? Design/methodology/approach: A children's village is chosen as the case area since the children's village typology provides a strong relation between indoor and outdoor spaces. Data are gathered through the review of visual and written materials and systematic observation in order to analyze the issue in a natural setting. Findings: The output of this study underlays the effects of location, layout and characteristics of residential areas at the neighborhood scale, as well as the spatial, physical and functional factors at the singular-space scale. The intentional social function of the space was found to be the strongest factor in enhancing social interaction. Originality/value: There are no adequate studies focusing holistically on environmental factors in outdoor living spaces, including spatial, physical and functional dimensions, that affect the social interaction of children in need of protection.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)69-89
Number of pages21
JournalInternational Journal of Architectural Research: Archnet-IJAR
Volume16
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 Feb 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Keywords

  • Children in need of protection
  • Environmental factors
  • Outdoor living spaces
  • Social interaction
  • Village-type settlement

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