Adult-centered

Adult-centered describes an environment, activity, program, or perspective that primarily focuses on the needs, desires, interests, and convenience of adults, often at the expense of, or without fully considering, the needs and perspectives of children or other dependent groups. This approach can manifest in various ways, from the design of physical spaces and scheduling to the content of educational materials and the allocation of resources. The term highlights a potential imbalance of power and a prioritization of adult priorities over those of other stakeholders. It implicitly critiques situations where the voices and experiences of non-adults are marginalized or disregarded in decision-making processes and program design. The core characteristic of being adult-centered is placing adult perspectives and interests as the central organizing principle. It often leads to approaches that are efficient or beneficial for adults but can be less inclusive or beneficial for others. Understanding and recognizing adult-centered practices is crucial to fostering fairness, equity, and genuine inclusivity.

Adult-centered meaning with examples

• The school board's decision to move the start time of the school day primarily reflected the needs of working parents. Although the measure facilitated carpooling and childcare arrangements, the impact of this adult-centered policy was not fully addressed. Teenagers, and even younger children, had shorter rest cycles and often suffered negative effects from a lack of sleep; thus, the policy’s impact was at odds with the students’ perspectives.
• The playground design prioritized ease of maintenance and aesthetic appeal, favouring smooth, hard surfaces and simple structures, making it adult-centered by not incorporating the complexity and imaginative features that children enjoy and that nurture their development. The adult focus disregarded the critical importance of natural elements, like trees and different textures, for children’s play and creative imagination. The playground, while practical, failed to fully cater to the recreational and cognitive needs of its intended users.
• The community meeting to discuss new park renovations was held on a weekday evening at a location inaccessible by public transport. This adult-centered arrangement made it hard for parents with young children, or residents working irregular hours to attend and have their opinions heard. The inconvenient timing and location created significant barriers to inclusive participation, ultimately excluding diverse viewpoints that could have greatly improved the park plan.
• The curriculum was designed to be adult-centered; it used a lecture format and relied on standardized testing as the primary method of assessment. This method of teaching prioritizes efficiency for teachers and the measuring of easily quantifiable adult expectations, but does not account for a children’s understanding. The learning environment ignored the effectiveness of experiential learning and individualized attention needed to support children's diverse learning styles, therefore being an inefficient method.