EK310 – Research with children
TMA No 2 – Option No 1
Can power relations ever be equal between adults and children?
The title of my essay is already suggesting that power relations between adults and children are unequal. Obviously adults are older than children and rules and respect play a big part, but underneath these facts isn't it true that children now have more rights than they have ever had, and they are slowly closing the power relations with adults gap.
The question of power relations and differences between adults and children can depend on a number of factors, not least including the age of the child and the location of the research, but the fact whether the research is on children or with children can make a big difference in how adults treat children and vice versa.
The main part of my essay will be spent looking at examples of whether relationships between adults and children are equal or unequal or both. I will mostly be using the chapter on 's research in Reader A.
I will also touch on the subject of how gender can fit into the matter of power relations, and whether it makes any difference in them, I will use various sources to do this.
Another point I will be looking at will be the ways in which children can play an active role in research and how adults can view them. and believed there were four ways that children and childhood have been identified in research: as an object, as a subject, as a social actor and as a participant/co-researcher, (, 2002, , within )
I will look at whether location figures in power relations and whether it makes any differences in them, I will use various sources for this question.
I will broach the subject of ethics in power relations with the help of and Dr 's work on the subject.
I will also talk about situations where power relations are minimal.
And finally I will examine what the future of the state of power relations between adults and children may be like.
EK310 – Research with children
Children as active participants?
Many researcher do try to include the child in their research by using their opinions and ideas to improve it, whilst others may start out with definite theories and methods where they will not include the child in this way but end up changing their minds, including them and bettering their project in the end.
Also although children can be active participants and can play a major role in the research, if they are not fully involved in every aspect and treated equally, then the adult researchers will still hold the power to interpret and write reports, and put in what they choose. (, 2004, ).
It may be true that when doing researching with children, the adults are in charge, they have to do the organising, obtaining permission, finding resources, and designing the questions, they are the guides.
On the other hand without the children's participation in the research, all the planning is for nothing, one needs the other to function, so the question of the adult being in charge and of there being a power imbalance is sometimes questionable when looked at from this angle.
, I believe got the balance right, she treated the children as equals by being one of them and trying not to lead, She took the time to build a good and strong relationship with the children and their families, so that they then treated her as one of them and they took her into their confidence. (, 2004, )
Living with children, in their community for such a length of time, carrying out activities with the children meant could form a relationship of vital trust for gathering data. Perhaps this put her on a more equal footing with the children and power differences were not as obvious. (,2004, )
In Bolivia, as in many other countries, many children were the the main wage earners, this meant they could have equal or even more power than the adults in some cases. This could mean that family relations of interdependance may have been stronger.
EK310 – Research with children
Children hold power too!
Some children had more responsibilities with the household tasks and looking after their siblings, often though children would challenge adult imposed boundaries to try to gain control and assert their autonomy.
They would seize the initiative to do something, try some bargaining with their parents or siblings, so that they could gain access to more time and space that they could call their own, taking action to shape their own life, seizing control and challenging parental rules.
Many children seemed to be re-negotiating their boundaries time and time again to try to gain more independence and freedom from their chores, (, 2004, ) .
Indeed children can hold power in other ways too when it comes to asserting their autonomy and re-negotiating their boundaries. They can fake illnesses to get out of a day at school, have temper tantrums when they want an extra sweet and look extra cute when they have done something wrong and want to be treated more leniently. (,1991, , within )
Children can also rebel against adults and authority by gambling, smoking and refusing to do certain tasks. South African children, (, 1991, , within ).
However there are extremes starting from compliance building to rejection, and children's strategies emerge as they manage their responses to adult control. (, 2004, ).
did find that a balance needed to be struck when she was playing the role of adult, friend, researcher, teacher and assistant teacher.
She also found when she was in the role of assistant teacher that this tended to reinforce power inequalities between herself and the children, as she was telling them what to do and was 'in charge' of the class.
Where possible she let the children decide what role they wanted her to play. (, 2004, ).
One of the methods of research used by was semi-participant research, she found it useful to learn by doing, giving her a greater understanding of the children's activities. It was time-consuming though because of the time taken to build up the relationship , and for the time taken to trust her, but also because it could only be done with limited numbers. (,2004, ). This might have meant there was a greater power imbalance apparent until everyone started to trust her.
EK310 – Research with children
Does gender matter?
The gender of the researcher can be important to children, they may have pre-conceived ideas and choose not to fully trust the researcher, thus hampering the research and making the researcher work that bit harder to build up their trust in them.
In a study carried out by frosh et al 2002 some boys interviewed in groups accounted for the rapport they established with the interviewer in terms of their shared gender and their assumed shared distancing from females.(, 2002, , within )
Whereas 's study based in a girls youth club showed how difficult it was for her to fit in with the girls groups and for them to accept her.
She said the girls saw her age as a barrier in being one of the girls, and also the girls had constructed her as a figure of authority.
The girls had also developed small groups, these girls suggested were constructing their femininity and creating spaces for themselves through this kind of opposition.
did try to get close to her respondents in order to understand actions from their perspective, but met with resistance from them and others when trying to fit into their groups, the girls saw this as an infringement to their private territory and made this hostility clear. (, 1978, , within )
Why would location matter in power relations?
The location can play quite a big part when looking at power relations between adults and children.
When researching at a school, the environment there is one of structure and routine, adults are respected by children and rules are to be followed during the school day.
Thorne spent a lot of time in schools researching gender play with amongst children, she ate with them, played with them and even became like them when she participated in secret exchanges with them. (, 2004, )
She did find that being so close to them and in a school environment stirred memories. (, 2004, ). This may have meant she could relate to them better and through this gain a clearer understanding of them.
EK310 – Research with children
Perhaps doing research in a place of the child's choosing, such as at their home, would make the child feel more at ease, and enable the researcher to see a different side to them.
Although some children can hold power over the researcher whatever the location, they may know the information needs to come from them, and choose not to to do what is being asked of them correctly and become withdrawn.
researched children both at home and at school, she saw children in their own time, own space and their own 'natural' environment.
She has to get used to different customs, learn new cultures and learn to live in a new environment. She tried to keep her research unstructured and tried as best as she could to fit into the children and their families' worlds, so she wasn't so much of an outsider and any power differences were not noticeable, she became like them.
At school she took on many roles, but perhaps the children viewed her differently when she took on the role of authority, especially where there is a set routine and the adult has to be listened to. (, 2004, )
So perhaps living with them in their own environment was the best location for her research as she was a friend to the children and their parents, and she lived their daily life with them, there was nothing anyone could hide not from or the children as she saw nearly everything as it is.
Power differences within the ethical status of children in research?
The ethical status of children in research is important when looking at the power relations between adults and children, and how although overall adults do hold the most power in research, things are changing...
The three main levels of involving children in research can show crucial power differences in children's status.
They can be unknowing objects of research not aware that they are being researched nor asked for their permission.
Aware subjects, where they are asked for their consent, and they have agreed to being questioned or observed, but within projects designed and controlled by adults without much leeway.
The third level of involving children in research is featuring them as active participants, where they have given permission and the project is about them, using their views, personal accounts and photos, and they are also involved with the planning, directing and reporting.
The advantages of this level of involvement has proven that children not only have greater control over analysing their own data but they also enjoy the process far more.
EK310 – Research with children
There are ethical risks though, the children may reveal far more about themselves and may later regret it or feel shame, and even if this was the way forward, adults overall still hold the power to interpret and write reports. (, 2004, )
The discussion on ethical issues on Audio Band 3 in the coursework was very interesting. Dr spoke of how you can still know a lot about a child, and when you are talking to them not reveal this, this can be true when talking to their sibling or friend.
When researching this can be a deception, it is holding back information from them and in effect holding some power over them.
All the professionals involved in the discussion admitted they had paid children at some point in their careers to be involved in research, but one researcher did try to justify her actions by saying that everyone's time had a value, and that some children were from poorer families who could have done with the money. (, 2004)
This is holding power over the children but also vice-versa, as again without the children's consent and involvement their research would be futile.
Modern medical ethics have forced medical researchers to change their methods. They now carry out less risky research with children and they inform, respect and protect researched children to greater extent.
Children and young people now share in planning, conducting and reporting research, and then meeting policy makers to see how it can be used.
A research information leaflet can be useful when explaining in plain english what the children's rights are in research, at the same time informing and reassuring parents and teachers.
A few examples from the points to ask on a research leaflet may be to mention:
✔ It is ok to say no
✔You can stop to have a break when you want
✔You can pass on any questions.
This would aid in showing the child they have rights, they will be shown respect and they too have some power in the process. (, 2004, )
EK310 – Research with children
Moving on to talk about where there can be situations where power relations are minimal and why.
I believe the best situation for a child and adult to be in is where one person knows the other well, where they trust each other and feel at ease with each other.
The best place to do this would be in a place of the child's choosing, such as at home, loosely structured, where the child feels they have some control and that the adult has to learn or follow.
The future of power relations in research with children?
I believe adult-child power relations are changing, the child is more informed and nowadays have more rights, whether that be at school, home or on the world of research.
They are gaining more respect and equality and are protected by law, whether that be the Childrens Act 1995, or the United Nations European Convention of the Rights of the Child 1989. All adults need to thread more carefully as children are more aware of these rights and the adult could be taken to court if they have broken the law in any way.
Even though children are involved in research a lot more nowadays, I believe there is a bigger role for them to play.
They could not only help design a project, they could ask the other children the questions themselves, and even help in the dissemination. They could evaluate it by making suggestions on how to better it, or by saying what parts could be omitted.
I believe power relations can become more equal between adults and children, if children are involved more, asked of their opinions, informed more about what will happen to them, and kept up to date on their rights and what is expected of them.
WORD COUNT- 2517
EK310 – Research with children
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