This chapter explores research conducted at an urban university and a secondary school in the United Kingdom. It shows how young co-researchers (aged 11–14 years) used creative research methods to explore the ecology and culture of the local park, situated next to their school. They worked with university students and academics at the university (also situated nearby), and researched the park by writing poetry, drawing pictures and making collages and films about it. The research shows that the young co-researchers found these research methods highly motivating and that the project generated powerful ‘affective flows’, whereby their creative outputs affected local councillors, community health groups and park managers at a research presentation. This led to changes being made to the park, that is, improved lighting, a water fountain, improved litter picking schedules and a community garden set-up. The chapter shows how these creative research methodologies created lines of flight, or new ways of thinking which helped the research team bring innovative solutions to old problems connected with the park. The creative research facilitated the generation of rhizomatic connections (Fox & Alldred, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 18(4), 399–414, 2015) whereby different generations—children and adults—came together to improve the park.

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How Can We Help Young People Improve Their Local Environments? How Can They Become Agents of Change?

  • Francis Gilbert,
  • Anna Stewart

摘要

This chapter explores research conducted at an urban university and a secondary school in the United Kingdom. It shows how young co-researchers (aged 11–14 years) used creative research methods to explore the ecology and culture of the local park, situated next to their school. They worked with university students and academics at the university (also situated nearby), and researched the park by writing poetry, drawing pictures and making collages and films about it. The research shows that the young co-researchers found these research methods highly motivating and that the project generated powerful ‘affective flows’, whereby their creative outputs affected local councillors, community health groups and park managers at a research presentation. This led to changes being made to the park, that is, improved lighting, a water fountain, improved litter picking schedules and a community garden set-up. The chapter shows how these creative research methodologies created lines of flight, or new ways of thinking which helped the research team bring innovative solutions to old problems connected with the park. The creative research facilitated the generation of rhizomatic connections (Fox & Alldred, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 18(4), 399–414, 2015) whereby different generations—children and adults—came together to improve the park.