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Children and Young People’s Participation in Cultural Activities

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Play and Recreation, Health and Wellbeing

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 9))

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Abstract

As play is often regarded unproblematically as something children do, this chapter explores manifestations of play in relation to participation as observed in an ethnographic study of children’s activities in a preschool setting. Drawing on the works of Deleuze and Guattari and of Bakhtin, the analysis makes use of concepts such as lines of flight, the in-between, and the carnival. Using a number of examples, it is discussed how these concepts reveal some of the functions and complexities of play such as resistance, flight, and approaches to learning in relation to institutionalized cultural activities. It is concluded that by recognizing the functions of play, institutions caring for children can be encouraged to afford spaces for children where they, themselves, can create playful and carnivalistic places.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centrum för konsumtionsvetenskap, Handelshögskolan, Göteborgs Universitet, Göteborg, Sweden

    Barbro Johansson

  2. The Swedish School of Library and Information Science, University of Borås, Allégatan 1, 501 90, Borås, Sweden

    Frances Hultgren

Authors
  1. Barbro Johansson
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  2. Frances Hultgren
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barbro Johansson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Bethan Evans

  2. Centre of Children and Youth, The University of Northampton, Northampton, United Kingdom

    John Horton

  3. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore Department of Geography, Singapore, Singapore

    Tracey Skelton

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

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Johansson, B., Hultgren, F. (2016). Children and Young People’s Participation in Cultural Activities. In: Evans, B., Horton, J., Skelton, T. (eds) Play and Recreation, Health and Wellbeing. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 9. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-51-4_18

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