Les adolescentes, tacticiennes de l’espace public. Usages engagés et expériences transgressives des adolescentes dans les parcs de pointe-aux-trembles (Montréal)

This case study focuses on adolescent girls as users of public space in the parks of Montreal’s Pointe-aux-Trembles district. At the intersection of social issues related to gender and age, they accumulate an experience of occupying public spaces that is very different from that of older women or boys their age. Drawing on feminist geographies and the anthropology of communication, we suggest in this text that the position of adolescent girls requires special attention to encourage their participation in the development of public spaces, and that they find a legitimate place in them. The empirical data come from observations and interviews conducted during the summer of 2019. While adolescent girls’ practices in parks are generally social, the layout and equipment available do not meet their needs. They therefore find themselves in situations where norms are transgressed, or as targets of transgressions committed by other users. Adolescent girls do, however, develop tactics of occupation and interaction that position them as active, expert and experienced users of public space.