IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cog/urbpla/v9y2024a8704.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Young Latinas/os’ Environmental Commitments: The Case of Waste

Author

Listed:
  • Miriam Solis

    (School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin, USA)

  • Sergio Morales

    (School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin, USA)

  • Noah Cohen

    (School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin, USA)

  • Katherine Pérez-Quiñones

    (School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin, USA)

  • Ana Chatham

    (Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, USA)

  • Janice Hagerman

    (School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin, USA)

  • Marisa Oliva

    (Texas Children in Nature Network, USA)

  • Carmen R. Valdez

    (UT Health School of Public Health San Antonio, USA)

Abstract

This participatory research project aimed to identify young people’s perceptions of the natural and built environment in their neighborhoods, including how social inequities shape those environments, and how their community and governments can improve them. The study took place with 25 young Latinas/os, ages 14 to 18, many of whom lived in a formerly unincorporated neighborhood (known as colonia ) in Pharr, Texas, located in the state’s Rio Grande Valley region. Through a walkalong, photovoice, and focus groups, participants identified waste management as a resounding priority. Their reflections highlighted their motivations behind and actions toward addressing this problem. This study makes two empirical contributions to scholarly and applied discussions on young people’s outdoor experiences. First, young people’s prioritization of waste highlights the role that trash—often in the form of scattered objects, small and large—has in shaping young people’s outdoor experiences. Second, young people are committed to improving waste conditions through individual and group actions, and they identified needed structural changes. Pharr youths’ environmental commitments call for investment in waste management and set the stage for more generative ways of experiencing the natural environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Miriam Solis & Sergio Morales & Noah Cohen & Katherine Pérez-Quiñones & Ana Chatham & Janice Hagerman & Marisa Oliva & Carmen R. Valdez, 2024. "Young Latinas/os’ Environmental Commitments: The Case of Waste," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9.
  • Handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v9:y:2024:a:8704
    DOI: 10.17645/up.8704
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/urbanplanning/article/view/8704
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17645/up.8704?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v9:y:2024:a:8704. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: António Vieira or IT Department (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cogitatiopress.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.