Growing together: cultivating community through gardening in Kenora, Ontario
Loading...
Date
2014-12-18
Authors
Moquin, Robert L. J.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Community gardens are places where people connect, share, and engage their social and ecological communities. The purpose of this thesis was to document and communicate participants’ experiences of community-building through community gardening in Kenora, Ontario, Canada. The primary method used was Photovoice, whereby a group of twelve participants shared photos and stories of their garden communities in a series of workshops. Follow-up interviews were used to get participant feedback on the Photovoice process and fill gaps in the data, while participant observation was used to triangulate data. Results suggest a uniquely relational perspective of community gardening, the significance of sharing and learning in the garden, as well as success with and barriers to social capital and ecological citizenship among gardeners. Of particular importance, future garden initiatives should facilitate opportunities for intergenerational bonding, connecting across community gardens, building gardens in accessible locations, addressing systemic barriers to inclusion, and conducting further community-based research.
Description
Keywords
Community, Gardening, Social-ecological, Participatory