Review of Young people's geographies
Teaching Geography Volume 34 Number 1, Spring 2009; Pages 32–34
The Young People's Geographies (YPG) project in England centres on the 'lived geographies' of students: their everyday experiences, interests, beliefs and concerns are examined through the study of the geographical spaces they frequent, how they interact, their cultures and identities. Supporting recent reforms to England's secondary geography curriculum, the YPG encourages collaboration between teacher and student; a creative but critical approach to academic knowledge, allowing for diversity of ideas and their refinement through practical application, community involvement in the building of knowledge; and assessment intertwined with the process of student enquiry. The YPG also continues a tradition expressed in publications such as Cool Places. This book examined topics such as young people's experience of nightclubs and pubs and their use of public spaces such as parks and shopping centres, while also considering alternative geographical experiences of groups such as traveller children, and more theoretical issues including the commercialisation of youth culture. Another significant forerunner of the YPG was Children’s Geographies: this publication examined children's experience of the home, public and commercial arenas, playgrounds and the natural world; considered how cyberspace affects their experience of time, interpersonal relations and the community; and covered contrasting international experiences such as those of children in Zimbabwe. The publication also highlighted a 'culture of non-participation by young people' in Britain. While the government supports student 'voice' in school life, critics complain that such support channels students' involvement too narrowly toward the priorities of market-based models of education. The YPG instead follows theorists who encourage students to remake the school community and wider community. An example of the program is the My Place, My City project, in which Year 9 students from three schools collaborated to capture images of their local city, adding commentary, and sharing results with Kenyan students undertaking parallel activities. The YPG needs to build on successes to date by increasing the level of independent action undertaken by students themselves. The authors also note that the thinking behind approaches like the YPG has been criticised in books including The Corruption of the Curriculum as 'fundamentally anti-intellectual', content-poor and ultimately even disengaging for students.
Source: Curriculum Leadership 7.32 Abstracts http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/abstracts,58.html?issueID=11945
Source: Curriculum Leadership 7.32 Abstracts http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/abstracts,58.html?issueID=11945