This accessible book presents approaches to planning, carrying out, and analyzing research projects with children and youth from a social constructivist perspective. Rich, contextualized examples illustrate how to elicit and understand the lived experiences of diverse young people. Data collection methods discussed in-depth include drawing, photography, the Internet, games, interviewing, focus groups, journaling, and observation. Also covered are strategies for fostering the active contributions of children in the research process; navigating consent and ethical issues; enlisting the support of parents, school personnel, and other gatekeepers; and interpreting data. Throughout, the authors emphasize the need to attend to the social setting in which research with children is done. End-of-chapter questions and exercises encourage readers to reflect on taken-for-granted conceptions of children and childhood and to try out the book's ideas in their own research projects.
1. Conceptions of Children and Childhood Historical Perspectives of Childhood Theories of Socialization New Studies of Childhood 2. Negotiating Access for Research with Children The Regulation of Research in the Social Sciences Navigating Institutional Review Boards 3. Recruiting Child Participants Strategies for Obtaining Parental Permission Getting Kids to Participate after You Are "In" Confidentiality 4. Defining Researcher Roles in Research with Children The Effect of Institutions on Researcher Roles Presentation of Self as Researcher 5. Ethical Challenges in Social Constructionist Research with Children Voluntary Participation Communicating Responsibly Reciprocity 6. Interviewing Interviewing as a Relationship Developing Interview Questions and Protocols Strategies for Eliciting Verbal Responses Individual Interviews Group Interviews and Focus Groups 7. Art and Photography Visual Forms of Expression and Representation Communicating through Participant Drawings Communicating through Photographs Communicating through Maps Planning for Visual Activities Planning for Analysis of Visual Data 8. Journaling and Other Written Responses Communicating through Writing Written Accounts as Data Artifacts Technology and Writing 9. Analyzing Data Internal and External Narratives of Meaning Analysis of Context, Contexts of Analysis Analyzing Visual Data Analysis Goes On and On 10. Children as Researchers The Power of Children's Voices Why Partner with Young People? The Possibility of True Partnerships
