Children's experiences of a good environment and its future—Developing theoretical framework for children's wellbeing

Abstract

Abstract No theoretical framework for the wellbeing of children has yet been developed from the perspectives of the state of the environment and the future of the planet as the children themselves experience them. This article explores the experiences that Finnish 5‐ to 19‐year‐old children have of a good living environment and its future in the context of Erik Allardt's theory of wellbeing. In line with Allardt's three‐tier categorisation, children find physical needs, social relationships and opportunities for fulfilment to be important in their environment ( having, loving and being ). In this article, a fourth dimension of living is introduced to supplement Allardt's theory.