Ismail Said Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment Universiti Teknologi Malaysia 2007 Evaluating the Affordances of Fishing Village Pertaining to Children’s Functioning

Research Problem Little is known about the fabric of children’s everyday lives in fishing-village community, that is, the physical activities and social interactions that form part of everyday experiences. That is, little knowledge how the properties and attributes of the fishing village influence the children’s behaviours and functioning. Understanding the relationship of the children with the natural and man-made elements and forces of the fishing village will give better insight how to plan or create, and possibly, conserve the place fit for children functioning.

Research Questions 1. What are the nature of children’s interactions with the natural landscape and architecture of fishing village? 2. What are the elements of the natural landscape and architecture affording the children to interact?

Objectives 1) To examine the cognitive, physical and social functioning of children in coastal community, and 2) To evaluate the affordances of the architectural and natural elements and forces of the village concerning the functioning of young children

Affordance of Outdoor Environment Ecological perceptual psychology views affodances as functional properties (significances) of an environmental feature which are perceived through movement. Affordances of the feature are defined by children’s physical skills or bodily proportions. Children valued of a place is not determined by its appearance or aesthetic qualities, but on its functional properties. Children take particular delight and continue to engage those affordances that give clear evidence of their efforts.

Types of Affordances Positive and negative affordances –Like versus dislike; delight versus fear Categorization of affordances (n=10) –aquatic animals, –graspable/detached objects (e.g. fishing rod) –attached objects (e.g. deck, jetty, piers), –moldable materials (e.g. mud) –water –affordances of sociality 3 levels of affordances –perceived –utilized –shaped

Method Site: Kampung Sri Aman Batu 3 ½, Tawau, Sabah Respondents were 2-12 year-old- children (n=76) Phenomenological approach Behavioural Observation (n=76) and Open-ended Interview (n=32) Overt responsesCovert responses Motoric activities (e.g. swimming) Sensual activities (e.g. scanning shellfish)

Results Positive and Negative Affordances Positive affordances attained during: Swimming Rowing boat Floating on inner tube Watching others

Results Categories of Environmental Qualities

Level of affordanceQuantity Percentage Perceived1620 Utilized4963 Shaped1317 Results Levels of affordance Findings: Most of the activities of the children are performatory and explorative types suggesting the children are active, physically and socially.

Discussion Place and Nature of children interaction 1. Most of the interactions of the children with the man- made elements were in relation to the natural elements, mudflats and aquatic animals, and to the natural forces, water, tide, wave and wind. 2. Most of the interactions were in the water and at the mudflats.

Discussion In water and on mudflats: Playing with inner tube such as float, scooping shrimps with a self-made net, fishing catfish from the deck, and searching and collecting shellfish were some of the physical, motoric activities associated with the water and animals.

Discussion At home: Interactions with two species of fish, mudskipper and catfish involving sensual and motoric activities. Home games including playing pictured cards, marbles, hopscotch, kites, and local games of ajab, panggut and piato.

Conclusions Children perceived the natural elements and architecture of the fishing village as sensorially rich and varied. The sensual and physical experiences provided wealth of opportunities to the children for generating autonomy, independent and self-sufficiency. Implications (1)Fishing village is a playspace for young children. (2)Planning and development of fishing village should consider the functioning of children leading to their cognitive, physical and social developments.