Children’s Farms: Extending Bridges between Ethnic Groups in the Netherlands Monika D.M. Piessens Children’s Farms: Extending Bridges between Ethnic Groups in the Netherlands MSc Thesis in ‘Leisure, Tourism and Environment’ Wageningen University and Research Centre Department: Environmental Science Chair group: Cultural Geography Course code: GEO - 80436 Thesis Supervisor: Dr. H.J. de Haan Author: Monika Piessens Registration Number: 870415652080 Date: January 2013 Public spaces have been considered a vital element of cities throughout history. Children’s farms in the Netherlands are open to the public and aim to be an attractive and accessible leisure destination for people of different ethnic backgrounds. They furthermore want to serve as meeting places where inter-ethnic social interactions take place. This study will contribute to knowledge about the functioning of contemporary children’s farms in the context of a multi-ethnic society, as well as propose interventions which strengthen their role as a meeting place for a great diversity of ethnic groups. In a qualitative two-case study design, suited to the explorative nature of this study, two children’s farms in Amersfoort and Utrecht have been compared in terms of visitor profile, features which make the location attractive for diverse visitors and factors which facilitate social interaction between them. To achieve this, several research methods have been employed, namely document analysis, semi-structured interviews and observations comprising behavioural mapping and a physical inventory. Post-positivism as a research paradigm supported the pragmatic nature of this study. Results indicate that children’s farms are an attractive leisure destination for visitors of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Factors which attract visitors and prolong their stay are the location of the farm within a city, adaptability to diverse needs of visitors, safety, high maintenance levels and protection from negative microclimatic influences. Features which strengthen the meeting place function of children’s farms are a human scale and attractive features which might set a triangulation process in motion such as animals or playground equipment. Keywords: Children’s Farms, Ethnicity, Social Interaction, Triangulation, Leisure Destination 5 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 9 2. Problem Statement ....................................................................................................................... 13 3. Scientific Objectives and Research Questions ............................................................................... 15 4. Relevance of the Study .................................................................................................................. 17 5. Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................................. 19 5.1 Multi-Ethnic Visitors, Engaging in Leisurely Activities ................................................................. 19 5.2 The Setting, an Attractive Leisure Destination ............................................................................ 32 5.3 The Setting, a Meeting Place ....................................................................................................... 39 5.4 A Leisure Destination and Meeting Place .................................................................................... 46 6. Methodology and Methods .............................................................................................................. 57 6.1 Methodological Considerations .................................................................................................. 57 6.2 Research Design .......................................................................................................................... 58 6.3 Methods for Data Collection ....................................................................................................... 59 6.4 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 65 6.5 Limitations ................................................................................................................................... 66 7. Description of the Case-Studies .................................................................................................... 67 7.1 Amersfoort, De Vosheuvel .......................................................................................................... 68 7.2 Utrecht, De Gagelsteede ............................................................................................................. 77 7.3 Comparisons between De Vosheuvel and Utrecht ..................................................................... 92 8. Results Case Study 1: De Vosheuvel .............................................................................................. 95 8.1 The Visitors .................................................................................................................................. 95 8.2 A Recreational Site .................................................................................................................... 102 8.3 A Social Place ............................................................................................................................. 105 8.4 De Vosheuvel in Sum ................................................................................................................. 119 9. Results Case Study 2: De Gagelsteede ........................................................................................ 123 9.1 The Visitors ................................................................................................................................ 123 9.2 A Recreational Site .................................................................................................................... 132 9.3 A Social Place ............................................................................................................................. 137 9.4 De Gagelsteede in Sum.............................................................................................................. 154 10. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 159 10.1 Research Findings .................................................................................................................... 160 10.2 Policy Recommendations and Future Research ...................................................................... 164 References ........................................................................................................................................... 167 Appendices .......................................................................................................................................... 174 Appendix A: Observation Guide ...................................................................................................... 174 Appendix B: Interview Guides ......................................................................................................... 175 6 Foreword and Acknowledgements “How can there be peace without people understanding each other, and how can this be if they don't know each other?” Lester B. Pearson (1957) This quote sums up best both my academic as well as my personal interest over the past few years. Coming from a mixed background with a Polish mother and a Dutch father, cultural differences have been a daily reality throughout my youth. I cultivated a strong interest in diversity and have been ever more curious to learn more about cultural and ethnic differences. At the age of 16 I received the chance to attend an international school in Wales where I met friends from different ethnic, religious, social and cultural backgrounds. After this exciting two-year experience I became involved in two organisations, one in the Netherlands and one in Bolivia. These provide youth camps in which participants work together towards a more inclusive society in which diversity is celebrated. It is through these experiences I learned both about both the complexity as well as the beauty such heterogeneity entails. I decided to study tourism and leisure as I believe it is within these domains that people from diverse backgrounds have an opportunity to meet, fight their prejudices and lay the foundations for an improved understanding and acceptance of one another. In the Dutch society ethnic tensions are recently surging within both the national and the international media. One such instance is a controversial children festivity in December of Sinterklaas, in which a Santa Claus is aided by white helpers who coloured their skin black (Criado, 2013). In contrast to such discussions fought in the media on a political level, I decided to focus on every-day living together in multi-ethnic societies. In this study I focus on everyday leisure spaces where people from different ethnicities gather. I was intrigued by the question whether people from various ethnic origins would interact and meet within these public places, as this would possibly mean a first step towards a better understanding and appreciation of each other. Another motivation for me has been to ensure practical applicability of my work;