Xitong Liao

Time, Place and Us: A/r/tographical Walking and Play as Cooperative Inquiry for Young Children and Adults

Xitong Liao – Faculty of Education, Art and Science, Yamagata University, Japan

Abstract:

This study investigates how a/r/tographical walking for children and adults, as a cooperative inquiry, evokes and causes changes to their perceptions of places, time, and relationships they share.  By having 11 groups of 3- to 6-year-old children and their parents walk and take photographs together with instant cameras in locations where they usually play and spend time together, it was observed that the participants became more aware of various aspects of the place such as elements that they didn’t pay much attention to before, their bodily and sensory memories related to the places and times they spend together every day, and their relationships with each other, as well as those between children and parents, among children, and among parents. Looking through the small window of an instant camera created new insights of observation distinct from what can be seen with the naked eye. This not only clarified participants’ interest when seeing and feeling, but also helped meanings and becoming-meanings emerge and to be shared. This a/r/tographical walk created a playful and educational environment in familiar spaces and times for all participants involved. Impressed by the process whereby the images emerged from pure white film and become clearer and clearer in their hands, children started to tell each other spontaneously what they filmed and how they saw and felt. In conclusion, the process of walking and taking photographs a/r/tographically embodied participants’ memories of time, place and each other. Sharing and mapping the walking and play helped children and parents to recognize the differences in the way they engage with the world through various senses – visually, interactively, tactilely and playfully. In addition, by participating in walking, taking photographs and sharing with their children, parents became more active and started to enjoy the process of play, rather than simply accompanying their children.