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Participatory Research with Children and Young People: Using Visual, Creative, Diagram, and Written Techniques

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Methodological Approaches

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 2))

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Abstract

This chapter provides a methodological toolkit for those interested in using participatory techniques with children and young people. It charts the rise of participatory “techniques” and “approaches” within the subdiscipline of children’s geography; arguing these often carries different hues or levels of participation. Ideals of full-scale participation, as an “approach,” can in theory seem well defined, but in the field these often translate as messy, complex, and problematic, which often challenges previously held views of participation. This requires innovative and adaptive responses when issues of time, resources, and competencies enter the mix. There is therefore a need to have a degree of reflexivity to ensure that research which struggles to achieve full-scale participation as an “approach” is not seen to be in some ways inferior for only partially enabling participation within certain aspects of the research. It is important to acknowledge that participatory research can progressively achieve transformative practice albeit at different levels (Beazley H, Bessell S, Ennew J, Waterson R, Children’s Geographies 7(4), 365–378, 2009). The chapter is aimed at two groups of researchers. Firstly, for those looking to use a participatory (PAR) approach, this toolkit provides a list of possible techniques which young people can choose from, as coresearchers, when helping to design the research. Secondly, for researchers who are looking to use alternative and nontraditional methods to engage with children and young people and make the research accessible for them.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Leicester, University Rd, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

    Thomas Grant

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  1. Thomas Grant
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Correspondence to Thomas Grant .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Environmenta, The University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom

    Ruth Evans

  2. Department of Geography, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, United Kingdom

    Louise Holt

  3. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Tracey Skelton

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Grant, T. (2015). Participatory Research with Children and Young People: Using Visual, Creative, Diagram, and Written Techniques. In: Evans, R., Holt, L., Skelton, T. (eds) Methodological Approaches. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 2. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-89-7_19-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-89-7_19-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-4585-89-7

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