Evaluating the Affordances of Fishing Village Pertaining to

Childrens Functioning

Ismail Said
Department of Landscape Architecture,
Faculty of Built Environment
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
2007

Research Problem
Little is known about the fabric of childrens 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 childrens 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 childrens 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 childrens
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 , Tawau, Sabah

Respondents were 2-12 year-old- children (n=76)
Phenomenological approach
Behavioural Observation (n=76) and Open-ended Interview (n=32)

Overt responses

Covert responses

Motoric activities

Sensual activities

(e.g. swimming)

(e.g. scanning shellfish)

Results

Positive and Negative Affordances

Table 1:Affordances of the natural landscape and architecture of the fishing village
Types of affordances
Positive
Negative

Quantity
78
2

Positive affordances
attained during:
Swimming
Rowing boat
Floating on inner tube
Watching others

Results
Categories of Environmental Qualities

Cate gory of e nvironme ntal

qualitie s

positive affordances
Affordances for sociality

Water

Moldable materials
Microclimate

Climable features

0
0

Non-rigid attached objects

Attached objects
Graspable/detached objects
Aquatic animals

0
0

Flat, relatively smooth surfaces

0
0

negative affordances

9
15
6
2
2
2
7
20
8
7
5

10
15
20
Q uantity of affordances

25

Results
Levels of affordance
Quantity

Percentage

Perceived

16

20

Utilized

49

63

Shaped

13

17

Level of affordance

Findings: Most of the activities of the children are

performatory and explorative types suggesting the
children are active, physically and socially.

Discussion

1.

2.

Place and Nature of children interaction

Most of the interactions of the children with the manmade elements were in relation to the natural elements,
mudflats and aquatic animals, and to the natural forces,
water, tide, wave and wind.
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.