174 research outputs found
Beings in their own right? Exploring Children and young people's sibling and twin relationships in the Minority World
This paper examines the contributions that the sociological study of sibship and twinship in the Minority World can make to childhood studies. It argues that, in providing one forum within which to explore children and young people's social relationships, we can add to our understanding of children and young people's interdependence and develop a more nuanced understanding of agency. As emergent subjects, children, young people and adults are in a process of âbecomingâ. However, this does not mean that they can âbecomeâ anything they choose to. The notion of negotiated interdependence (Punch 2002) is useful in helping us to grasp the contingent nature of children and young people's agency
Music, middle childhood and agency:The value of an interactional-relational approach
This article considers the implications of childrenâs out-of-school musical experiences and activities for conceptualisations of child agency. In particular, it engages with differing approaches to relational agency and considers their value for understanding music-related practice during middle childhood. Accounts from children (nâ=â111) living in three parts of England are explored, and the subsequent analysis provides the basis for proposing the potential of an interactionalârelational approach for approaching questions about childrenâs agency within such domains of practice and beyond
Understanding childrenâs constructions of meanings about other children: implications for inclusiveeducation
This paper explores the factors that influence the way children construct meanings about other children, and especially those who seem to experience marginalisation, within school contexts. The research involved an ethnographic study in a primary school in Cyprus over a period of 5 months. Qualitative methods were used, particularly participant observations and interviews with children. Interpretation of the data suggests that children's perceptions about other children, and especially those who come to experience marginalisation, are influenced by the following factors: other children and the interactions between them; adultsâ way of behaving in the school; the existing structures within the school; and the cultures of the school and the wider educational context. Even though the most powerful factor was viewed to be the adultsâ influence, it was rather the interweaving between different factors that seemed to lead to the creation of particular meanings for other children. In the end, it is argued that children's voices should be seen as an essential element within the process of developing inclusive practices.<br/
âItâs never okay to say no to teachersâ: childrenâs research consent and dissent in conforming schools contexts
This article examines the limits to children giving research consent in everyday school contexts that emphasises their conformity to comply with adult expectations, and highlights childrenâs competence and agency in navigating this conformity through different practices of dissent. It draws on research into childrenâs agency, using a multimodal ethnography of Year 1 classrooms in two English primary schools. The article includes a reflexive methodological focus, exploring the extent to which I counter the schoolsâ emphasis on conformity. This includes creating visuals for children to practice consent; positioning myself as the researcher in a nonâteacher role, as âleast adultâ and the one who âleast knowsâ; and designing interview spaces markedly different from classrooms. The article examines how children navigate conforming discourses by finding different ways to dissent in the research. Firstly, children demonstrate a sophisticated awareness of the cultural norms of indicating refusals beyond saying the word âNoâ. Secondly, children achieve unnoticeablity, by which they absent themselves from the âonâtaskâ classroom culture, and by extension the research process. Thirdly, they engage in playful dissent, demonstrating their political knowingness of the classroom social order. The article discusses the implications for educational research when the values of consent are in conflict with a schooling focused on conformity. This includes emphasising the limits of consent procedures, paying closer attention to how researchers recognise and respond ethically to childrenâs multiple practices of dissent, and using research to disrupt problematic power structures in education settings that limit possibilities for childrenâs consent
Ethical and methodological issues in engaging young people living in poverty with participatory research methods
This paper discusses the methodological and ethical issues arising from a project that focused on conducting a qualitative study using participatory techniques with children and young people living in disadvantage. The main aim of the study was to explore the impact of poverty on children and young people's access to public and private services. The paper is based on the author's perspective of the first stage of the fieldwork from the project. It discusses the ethical implications of involving children and young people in the research process, in particular issues relating to access and recruitment, the role of young people's advisory groups, use of visual data and collection of data in young people's homes. The paper also identifies some strategies for addressing the difficulties encountered in relation to each of these aspects and it considers the benefits of adopting participatory methods when conducting research with children and young people
The challenges of ethical research with children
As especificidades da pesquisa com crianças tĂȘm ganhado visibilidade nas produçÔes acadĂȘmicas em diversas ĂĄreas de
conhecimento, com destaque para a Sociologia da InfĂąncia, principalmente a partir dos ânovos estudos sobre a infĂąnciaâ
os quais emergiram ao final da década de 1980. Essa visibilidade acontece devida a questÔes como: a discussão sobre
as imagens da infĂąncia, construĂdas socio-historicamente; o reconhecimento da condição das crianças enquanto atores
sociais, portanto, seres competentes, que atribuem significaçÔes a suas experiĂȘncias e contextos; e o reconhecimento
das crianças enquanto sujeitos de direitos, reconhecimento este pautado pela Doutrina da Proteção Integral. Permeadas
por essas questĂ”es, as pesquisas com crianças agregam a questĂŁo da Ătica nas atividades desenvolvidas na relação
pesquisador-criança. No contexto dessa discussão, este trabalho propÔe refletir sobre essas questÔes e os cuidados
éticos nesse tipo de pesquisa, considerando a condição da criança enquanto sujeito de direitos. Foi realizado um
recorte da produção acadĂȘmica representativa na ĂĄrea da Sociologia da InfĂąncia nas duas Ășltimas dĂ©cadas, identificando
quais aspectos aparecem nas preocupaçÔes dos autores, quais abordagens norteiam a discussão desses aspectos e,
principalmente, que concepção de infùncia estå presente nessa produção.The specificities of research with children have gained visibility in scientific publications in various areas of knowledge,
especially in Sociology of Childhood and the ânew studies of childhoodâ, which emerged at the end of the 1980s. This
fact is due to discussions about childhood from a socio-historical perspective; the recognition of children as social
actors and therefore able to give meaning to their experiences and contexts; and the recognition of children as
individuals entitled to rights, according to the Doutrina da Proteção Integral (Full Protection Doctrine). Therefore,
research ethics is an essential element of good research governance, especially in terms of activities related to the
relationship between the researcher and child. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to examine and explore these
issues, considering the child as an individual entitled to rights. A literature review of articles published in the last two
decades in the area of Sociology of Childhood was conducted to identify the main issues and topics addressed, the
approaches that guided the discussions and, especially, to identify the conception of childhood present in these
studies.CIEC - Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança, IE, UMinho (UI 317 da FCT), Portuga
Seeking children's perspectives: a respectful layered research approach
This article discusses why researchers and educators might choose to seek children's perspectives. It also highlights some of the key considerations when seeing children as having the right to contribute to decisions that affect them. The article draws on findings from a study that used pedagogically oriented methods for researching three- and four-year-old children's perspectives about outdoor spaces in the early childhood setting they attended. The article discusses the possibilities and practicalities of this research approach for both research and pedagogy. Examples are provided for others who may be considering working/researching in these ways
So round the spiral again: a reflective participatory research project with children and young people
Historically the voices of children in research have been silent. They are often seen as victims or beneficiaries of research rather than co-researchers or partners. This is beginning to change with rowing awareness that involving children in the design, delivery and evaluation of services can make services more accessible to them and their peers. This article reviews the processes involved n a research project commissioned by Childrenâs Fund, which investigated the use and non-use of services within a local area. The involvement of children was paramount and resulted in the recruitment f nine young researchers between the ages of 7â13. Various cycles of participatory action research evolved throughout the project and this article focuses specifically on twoârecruiting the researcher and training young researchers. We consider the cycles of reflection and action crucial to any participatory project and discuss how lessons were learned to inform further stages of the process. Themes such as challenges, power and participation are discussed throughout
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