by Silvia Musso
Are you local administrators, educators or simply parents? Do you think the city where you live is not human-sized? Do you think your children need green spaces where playing and being free? In brief, do you feel a "nature deficit" and would you like to know how to change this reality toward more sustainable urban forms?
A piedi nudi nel verde. Giocare per imparare a vivere (“Barefoot in nature. Playing to learn to live” by Giunti Editore) is a book where you can find useful insights, interesting examples and an extensive bibliography and site links on the relationship between childhood play and nature.
The two authors, the philosopher of science Albertina Oliverio and developmental psychologist Anna Oliverio Ferraris, have been engaged years in the defence of urban environments to meet the needs of any citizen, especially children. We contacted them to figure out through their observations what the book specifically is.
Which is the aim of the book and its main target?
«These days lifestyle is not suitable for children growing needs. While activity is essential to children wellness, obesity among youths is dramatically increasing due to sedentariness. Children are exposed to several stimuli that accelerate their growth preventing them to spontaneously develop their mental attitude through games. There is a relationship, scientifically proven, between the lack of free playing in childhood and anxiety and depression in adolescence. If these days children play much less than a few decades ago, is because meeting spaces have slowly disappeared, roads have become very dangerous, parents are more concerned and anxious than their grandparents were and in consumer society children are considered just like small adults rather than kids. With this book, we speak to teachers, administrators and citizens. It is important to give children back those spaces and those times they need. Too many children today are overweight because they move little and obesity is increasing among adolescents. Too many children are not engaged in anything could give them pleasure and which contribute to the development of sociability and intelligence. Children build up their personality interacting with peers, taking initiatives and using imagination. Playing together is learning to make decisions, solve problems, exercise self-control, regulate emotions, respect the rules, find compromises, all in a cheerful and optimistic atmosphere».
In the book you refer to a kind of commercial communication that often degrades outdoor life, play and movement. Are there special forms of communication and media which may convey environmental sustainable messages concerning childhood and education?
«Media could send this kind of messages. If they do not, it is because they just follow business. Think of the incredible number of commercials broadcasted every day, even in children programs. It is good to know that in several European countries inserting commercial advertisements in children programs (from Norway to Greece ...) is not permitted because of the power of persuasion and manipulation that may have commercial messages. But advertising is not the only guilty. Many entertainment programs send messages morally harmful or full of anxiety trying to keep viewers "glued" to the screen. Gossip broadcasts are offensive to children: many, however, watch them with their parents».
Among the numerous stimuli and examples presented throughout chapters, in several occasions you refer to the importance of citizens involvement in cities administrative life. What do you mean by that?
«Children are citizens like anybody else, even if they do not vote. But they cannot defend their rights, so adults have to be strongly involved in their welfare, women in particular. Experience teaches us that when women have public administrations roles, children's civil rights are safeguarded. Northern European countries, where women hold political offices as an equal to men, we find the highest attention to children and adolescents as well as the largest number of initiatives to make cities more "green" and livable. Even in Italy we have some good cases, but there is still not a widespread awareness of these issues».
Envi strongly recommends reading this book we can call "militant": it is a text full of relevant messages for a sustainable present and future of our children, that we hope can be spread as much as possible.
Are you local administrators, educators or simply parents? Do you think the city where you live is not human-sized? Do you think your children need green spaces where playing and being free? In brief, do you feel a "nature deficit" and would you like to know how to change this reality toward more sustainable urban forms?
A piedi nudi nel verde. Giocare per imparare a vivere (“Barefoot in nature. Playing to learn to live” by Giunti Editore) is a book where you can find useful insights, interesting examples and an extensive bibliography and site links on the relationship between childhood play and nature.
The two authors, the philosopher of science Albertina Oliverio and developmental psychologist Anna Oliverio Ferraris, have been engaged years in the defence of urban environments to meet the needs of any citizen, especially children. We contacted them to figure out through their observations what the book specifically is.
Which is the aim of the book and its main target?
«These days lifestyle is not suitable for children growing needs. While activity is essential to children wellness, obesity among youths is dramatically increasing due to sedentariness. Children are exposed to several stimuli that accelerate their growth preventing them to spontaneously develop their mental attitude through games. There is a relationship, scientifically proven, between the lack of free playing in childhood and anxiety and depression in adolescence. If these days children play much less than a few decades ago, is because meeting spaces have slowly disappeared, roads have become very dangerous, parents are more concerned and anxious than their grandparents were and in consumer society children are considered just like small adults rather than kids. With this book, we speak to teachers, administrators and citizens. It is important to give children back those spaces and those times they need. Too many children today are overweight because they move little and obesity is increasing among adolescents. Too many children are not engaged in anything could give them pleasure and which contribute to the development of sociability and intelligence. Children build up their personality interacting with peers, taking initiatives and using imagination. Playing together is learning to make decisions, solve problems, exercise self-control, regulate emotions, respect the rules, find compromises, all in a cheerful and optimistic atmosphere».
In the book you refer to a kind of commercial communication that often degrades outdoor life, play and movement. Are there special forms of communication and media which may convey environmental sustainable messages concerning childhood and education?
«Media could send this kind of messages. If they do not, it is because they just follow business. Think of the incredible number of commercials broadcasted every day, even in children programs. It is good to know that in several European countries inserting commercial advertisements in children programs (from Norway to Greece ...) is not permitted because of the power of persuasion and manipulation that may have commercial messages. But advertising is not the only guilty. Many entertainment programs send messages morally harmful or full of anxiety trying to keep viewers "glued" to the screen. Gossip broadcasts are offensive to children: many, however, watch them with their parents».
Among the numerous stimuli and examples presented throughout chapters, in several occasions you refer to the importance of citizens involvement in cities administrative life. What do you mean by that?
«Children are citizens like anybody else, even if they do not vote. But they cannot defend their rights, so adults have to be strongly involved in their welfare, women in particular. Experience teaches us that when women have public administrations roles, children's civil rights are safeguarded. Northern European countries, where women hold political offices as an equal to men, we find the highest attention to children and adolescents as well as the largest number of initiatives to make cities more "green" and livable. Even in Italy we have some good cases, but there is still not a widespread awareness of these issues».
Envi strongly recommends reading this book we can call "militant": it is a text full of relevant messages for a sustainable present and future of our children, that we hope can be spread as much as possible.
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