Befogadó városi terek létrehozása a civil társadalomtudomány segítségével

Abstract

The method of citizen social science is used to examine the experiences of young people with hearing impairments (including those who are hard of hearing) in Szeged and the surrounding area regarding social inclusion across various urban micro- and meso-environments. The participatory research followed a multi-phase process that included recruiting and training the research team, developing common research questions, conducting semi-structured interviews, and collecting location-specific data using the Spotteron mobile app. The research resulted in the creation of an online “resource” database on local inclusive services, and professional as well as community dissemination was carried out through several “Living Lab” events.

The findings indicate that social inclusion is most strongly determined by the quality of communication and human behaviour, as well as by solutions that enable visual communication. The heterogeneity of hearing loss, its “invisibility,” and communication differences can lead to relationship difficulties, isolation, and self-esteem issues. Support from family and educational institutions, well-organised audiological services, and appropriate technological tools have proved to be important resources in addressing these issues. Based on Spotteron data and interviews, practical recommendations were formulated at the micro level (e.g., spatial organisation, nonverbal communication, pace and time management) and meso level (e.g., community building, awareness programs, improving institutional access, captioning, sign language interpretation).

It is concluded that inclusion requires a two‑way connection and that power relations and the fragmentation of communities are challenges that need to be addressed. The flexible, reflexive methodology of civil society studies is identified as a valuable tool in joint research with hard-of-hearing young people; however, its time-consuming and project-based routine application is found to require further methodological refinements.