Neighborhood and Housing as Explanatory Scales of Children’s Quality of Life

Abstract

This article analyzes the work developed with 1062 children aged 8 and 10 – who live in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in large and small cities – with the aim of measuring two dimensions: housing/home and neighborhood, in conjunction with the variable gender. This analysis will comprise housing/home, the place where they sleep, their home situation, their degree of agreement regarding their homes, and the frequency of family activities – in all cases – according to gender; on the other hand, and in relation to the neighborhood, the level of agreement with its characteristics, and their degree of satisfaction with it, will also – in both cases – be carried out according to gender. Regarding the household where the surveyed boys and girls reside, in general lines, they have given highly positive answers both regarding safety itself and as a form of emotional support; they have likewise given highly positive accounts of how they are heard and looked after by their families – though they show less satisfaction with the space they have to study and do their homework in their dwellings, which points to housing issues. As to their neighborhood of residence, 70% of the 8 year-old surveyed boys and girls express that they are highly satisfied. Regarding 10 year-old boys and girls, the percentage drops to approximately 60%.