A1 Journal article (refereed)
Unravelling the rationalities of childhood cycling promotion (2022)

Silonsaari, J., Simula, M., Te Brömmelstroet, M., & Kokko, S. (2022). Unravelling the rationalities of childhood cycling promotion. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 14, Article 100598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100598

The research was funded by Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland.

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Silonsaari, Jonne; Simula, Mikko; Te Brömmelstroet, Marco; Kokko, Sami

Journal or series: Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives

ISSN: 2590-1982

eISSN: 2590-1982

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 12/04/2022

Volume: 14

Article number: 100598

Publisher: Elsevier

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100598

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80707

Abstract

Decrease of children’s independent mobility (CIM) has worried academics, policymakers, educators and other professionals for decades. Research and policy often emphasise that promoting children’s physically active and independent transport modes as cycling is important to achieve better public health, solve environmental challenges and increase related economic benefits. Yet, cycling promotion is not a neutral process and all promotion efforts are derived from latent notions of ‘cyclists’ and ‘cycling’. This paper discusses different rationalities of childhood cycling promotion and the representations of ‘children’ as independent ‘cyclists’ they entail. We argue that in order to efficiently promote cycling across contexts, we should better understand children’s cycling experiences and meanings they ascribe to it and how their mobilities emergence in the flux of social, institutional and political relations. By applying action research to a local cycling promotion project in Finland we explore how instrumental, functional and alternative rationalities emerged and resulted in differing representations of children as cyclists. While all rationalities played a role in different stages of the project, the results highlight that alternative rationalities as children’s autonomy, positive emotions and friendships were considered the most important drivers of new cycling practices among project participants. In conclusion we propose children’s autonomous mobility as the most appropriate term to depict their cycling and other self-imposed (but relational) mobility practices.

Keywords: children (age groups); childhood; cycling; health promotion; independence (personal); traffic policy; action research

Free keywords: children’s independent mobility; childhood; cycling; action research; rationality; governmentality

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Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1