Abstract
Kristjánsson, B. (1991). Children's accidents in a cultural context. Icelandic children's everyday life and encounters. A study based on material from two research projects. Nordisk Psykologi, 43, 199–218. According to earlier studies, Icelandic children are more accident-prone than children in most other modern countries. In this paper two related studies, pertaining to the everyday life of pre-school children in Iceland and the Nordic countries, are combined in order to shed light on why this is so. Some general characteristics of children's outdoor habitats are described and assessed in terms of traffic and other hazards. The parents' as well as the children's perceptions of environmental threats are compared. An interpretative scheme is proposed and developed, taking into account socio-historical, institutional and adult-child interactional contexts. Children in central urban areas live in the most dangerous outdoor habitats, often severely limiting their chances to play freely outside. It is contended that Icelandic children, compared with their Scandinavian peers, enjoy little adult supervision in their everyday environments. These implicitly posed demands on children to manage on their own coincide with such divergent factors as: the parents' stress on autonomy and freedom as a socialization goal; their positive view of society; and lacking day-care facilities, providing children with inadequate adult guidance while at home.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
