Researching Film with Children

Abstract

When devising an approach to my fieldwork, my main concern was to work ethically and meaningfully with children to explore the questions outlined in my literature review. Hart (1992) observes that in research, children are commonly subjects of formal, language-orientated methods:

Unfortunately most social science research with children is still of the distant adult controlled type: questionnaires and structured interviews which barely scrape the surface of what children are able to tell. (Hart, 1992, p. 14)

Such research is met, by some children, with a resounding ‘culture of silence’ (Reason, 1994, p. 328). Gauntlett (2005) argues that relying solely on formal methods of data collection, based on analysis of spoken and written language, can restrict participation. Furthermore, research which enables children with particular verbal and written language skills to dominate can obscure the experiences of others. In the emerging literature about participatory approaches to research with children there are many calls for diverse, flexible and culturally appropriate methods which overcome the ‘I don’t know syndrome’, which acts as a barrier to research (Malone, 1999, p. 18). Furthermore, as Hart argues:

One must identify situations which will maximise a child’s opportunities to demonstrate her competence.