Play or Played? Childhood and Children Participation in Policies Decision-Making Process in Taiwan

• In Event: 40809 - Rewriting the Future: Youth-Driven Policies That Catalyze Change

Abstract

Policies and public spaces are far from neutral—the accessibility of people differs by gender, class, race or ethnicity, and sexual performance to both. A growing body of research
investigates the role of children in the decision-making process in public urban spaces interrogating how people categorize children as a unique social group. Yet, concerns about
children’s opinions in the public sphere include firstly the capability of children to express themselves freely, mostly measured verbally, and the weaponization of children by adults. In short, interpretation of their behaviors as “play” limits the authenticity of the contents they deliver.

This study analyzes cultural framings as a collective social practice that also brings social changes, highlighting the asymmetric power relations and the absent voices in the process of knowledge production. With this perspective, I argue that the description of normal children varies depending on requests for aspects of vulnerability that policymakers call the “public good.” Thus, the question is how does the policy framing of children’s ability and right to participation vary, how is the concept of “play” used, and when or how children’s voices are silenced?

To ask the question of how children’s rights and child-centered attitudes emerged in policies on public spaces, I analyze archival sitting memos from the Legislative Yuen from 1985 to 2020 on the debates on children’s rights to participation in the public sphere. The sitting memos detail the contents of speeches during every session and the speakers’ identities. The framing of child victimization emerged, in line with the previous studies. I also include some fieldnotes from participant observation related to the topic. Theoretically, this 1study explains how children’s opinions are systematically ignored in stories about public spaces. Empirically, it children to the spotlight children have a proactive role in the policy-making process that adults taken-for-granted.

Author

• Pei-Chen Cheng, University at Albany, SUNY