Exploring Children's Relationships across Majority and Minority Worlds
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Research on Families and Relationships
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Bacon K
(2012)
'Beings in their own right'? Exploring children and young people's sibling and twin relationships in the Minority World
in Children's Geographies
Children In Scotland
(2011)
Children and Young People's Participation in Policy-Making: Making it meaningful, effective and sustainable
Children In Scotland
(2014)
Children and young people's participation in policy-making: sharing practice
Farrell A
(2015)
The SAGE Handbook of Early Childhood Research
Jamieson L
(2012)
Children and young people's relationships, relational processes and social change: reading across worlds
in Children's Geographies
Konstantoni K
(2012)
Children's peer relationships and social identities: exploring cases of young children's agency and complex interdependencies from the Minority World
in Children's Geographies
Le Borgne C
(2017)
Children's Participation: Questioning Competence and Competencies?
in Social Inclusion
Mayall B
(2012)
An afterword: some reflections on a seminar series
in Children's Geographies
Morrow V
(2013)
Troubling transitions? Young people's experiences of growing up in poverty in rural Andhra Pradesh, India
in Journal of Youth Studies
| Description | The seminar series brought together leading research to foster debate about children's relationships in low-income and high-income countries (termed 'Majority' and 'Minority world'). Drawing on different academic disciplines, it addressed theoretical developments and research in both Childhood Studies and the study of relationships. Four intensive seminars were organised through the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, with a core organising team from the University of Edinburgh, Medical Research Council's (MRC) Social and Public Health Science Unit in Glasgow, UHI Millennium Institute and University of Stirling. The seminars focused on: 1. Peer Relations (April 2010, Edinburgh); 2. Intergenerational Relationships (November 2010, Glasgow); 3. Youth Transitions to Adulthood (April 1st 2011, Edinburgh); 4. Migration and Family Relationships (Oct 24/25 2011, Inverness) The seminars strongly debated the similarities, differences and comparisons across Majority and Minority contexts, identifying the value of conversations between such contexts that all too often do not happen. Conceptually, the seminars developed a critique of how UK childhood studies research has used the concept of 'agency', that is the ability to act on one's own volition. Yet they noted how the concept usefully contributed to children's rights advocacy and thus policy and practice. The seminars suggested alternative concepts and research questions, recognising children's interdependencies, revisiting concepts of generation, and more nuanced ideas of children's agency. |
| Exploitation Route | To support postgraduates and early career researchers, particular spaces was given in the seminar series programme to involve them, they were specifically invited in invitations, and they had subsidised costs to participate. These efforts were more successful than anticipated, with 30% of seminar series participants coming from this group. Punch & Tisdall negotiated the special issue for Children's Geographies. They then co-edited the special issue. This journal is a leading one within childhood studies, and an early publication date was secured. Five of the contributors had recently completed their PhD. Editing the special issue involved dedicated time and support of certain early career researchers, in light of reviewers' comments, to submit quality publications. CRFR has a website for the seminar series http://www.crfr.ac.uk/events/esrcseminars.html, where seminar programmes, ppt and outputs are available publicly. CRFR advertised the seminar series, its outputs and Briefing 1 on 'Migration and Family Relationships' through the CRFR mailing list - which goes out to over 800 academics, practitioners and policy-makers. Briefing 1 has been linked to other websites, including the UHI Centre for Remote and Rural Studies and the Child Migration Research Network, run by the University of Sussex. Through CRFR mailing networks, and the email list established from the seminar series, early career researchers were encouraged to contribute to the symposium at the 'Celebrating Childhood Diversity' Conference (Sheffield 2012) by Tisdall, and invited to submit to the CRFR International Conference (Edinburgh 2013). Wight's engagement in the seminar series influenced the joint MRC funded project, to develop survey measures of parent-child interactions in sub-Saharan Africa, to evaluate parenting interventions more rigorously. This is a collaboration between MRC SPHSU and MRC/ UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Government Democracy and Justice |
| Description | As Childhood Studies has become more established as an academic area, the seminar series was timely for critical reflection and renewal of its theoretical ideas, and their practical implications. The seminar series explicitly sought to do this in two ways. (1) In the welcome recognition of children as individuals (rather than submerged into 'households), Childhood Studies has risked losing the interlinking, inter-dependent relationships of children with family members, peers and other important adults. 'Relationships' have themselves been subject to new and challenging theorisations, and the seminar series brought these into discussions. (2) Childhood Studies risks concentrating unduly on the Minority World and not fully integrating learning from development studies, and the growing indigenous work in the Majority World on childhood(s). The seminar series sought to bring such insights into its thinking. (3) As the series developed across seminars, how Childhood Studies has utilised the idea of children's 'agency' became a significant critique. The following impacts have been identified from evaluation responses and emailing seminar participants: 2. Individual reflection and stimulation. Participants report incorporating their ideas into journal articles and research projects. 3. Assisting practitioners to make links with theoretical thinking. This is further reported in economic and social impacts. 4. Assisting postgraduates and early career researchers in publishing and networking. Participants reported joining suggested networks, further conference presentations and publications. Five early career researchers were supported to submit articles to the special journal issue. 5. Further activities. The research has fed into specific networking, research and publication activities. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | Changing The Story (Arts and Humanities Research Council) Follow on Funding |
| Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2022 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | Children and young people's participation : from fashion accessory to part of the fabric |
| Amount | £114,007 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ES/I001719/1 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2011 |
| End | 09/2012 |
| Description | Connections Grant |
| Amount | $29,949 (CAD) |
| Organisation | National Research Council of Canada |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Canada |
| Start | 05/2015 |
| End | 05/2016 |
| Description | International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership, Partnership Grant |
| Amount | $2,499,993 (CAD) |
| Funding ID | 895-2021-1003 |
| Organisation | Government of Canada |
| Department | SSHRC - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Canada |
| Start | 03/2021 |
| End | 03/2028 |
| Description | Leverhulme Visiting Professorship |
| Amount | £11,313 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | VP2-2016-044 |
| Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2017 |
| End | 12/2017 |
| Description | Partnership Development Grants |
| Amount | $199,973 (CAD) |
| Funding ID | 895-2015-0109 |
| Organisation | Government of Canada |
| Department | SSHRC - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Canada |
| Start | 07/2016 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | Seminar Programmes |
| Amount | £19,955 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Scottish Universities Insight Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2017 |
| End | 06/2017 |
| Description | Influence MRC funded project on parent-child interactions |
| Organisation | MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS |
| Country | Uganda |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The seminar series has influenced thinking behind a MRC funded project to develop more reliable and valid survey measures of parent-child interactions in sub-Saharan Africa in order to evaluate parenting interventions more rigorously. Questionnaire items intended to measure constructs such as ?parental control? and ?encouragement of autonomy? will be informed by the more nuanced understanding of children?s agency developed through the seminars. This is a collaboration between the MRC SPHSU and MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Challenging children and young people's Participation? Considerations of time and space |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Results: engagement with sociology of childhood, networking and sparking of potential ideas. European Sociological Association R4N Symposium 'Theorising Childhood: Citizenship, Rights, Participation' 'Challenging children and young people's Participation? Considerations of time and space' Presentation. University of Modena May 2014. Future publication in book. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://esarn4modenasymposium.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/mid-term-symposium-may-21-23-2014-university-o... |
| Description | Contribution to Launch of World Visions Centre for Excellence on Children's Participation in Advocacy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | World Vision International has established a Centre for Excellence on Children's Participation in Advocacy. This aims to nature collaborations and learning together, bringing together World Vision staff, policy-makers, children and young people and academia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.wvi.org/our-work/child-participation |
| Description | Parental upbringing as a structural driver of HIV |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | A presentation was given by Joyce Wamoyi (National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania): Parental upbringing as a structural driver of HIV The Structural Drivers of HIV Conference University of East Anglia, UK HIVUEA, University of East Anglia and HEARD (Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division) at the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa The seminar presentation supported this early career academic to present at this further conference. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| URL | http://www.uea.ac.uk/hiv/conference-2011-programme |
| Description | Participation and Childhood Seminar Chile |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Organised by World Vision Chile, Kay Tisdall provided a key note speech as part of a seminar series aiming to raise children's rights up the political agenda in Chile and particularly for its constitution. In English, the seminar series was titled '"Constituent Childhood: Proposals and Challenges for children and young people's participation in Chile". Primarily aimed to a Chilean audience, it was also accessible internationally as it was online. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Presentation to International Froebel Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Lynn McNair and Kay Tisdall were key note speakers at the 9th International Froebel Society Conference 2021, held online. The intended purpose of the conference was: Social justice, equity and integrity are terms that often appear in twenty-first-century discussions of early childhood education and care (ECEC), but what do they mean and how might they be enacted in specific settings, particular locations, individual cultures and nations? What answers might be gleaned from social scientific or historical analyses? How can those who care about and work with young children - including practitioners, researchers and policymakers - develop and achieve visions of social justice, equity and integrity? How do these interact with other(s') goals for ECEC, such as improving children's educational attainment and achievement, and increasing parents' participation in paid employment, training or further study? How might Froebelian perspectives and practices help advance equity and social justice today and in the future? And what role does or should integrity play in all of the above?" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://www.ifsfroebel.com/?p=713 |
| Description | Rejuvenate Dialogue - Panellist |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Lead by a team at IDS and UHI, the goal of the REJUVENATE project is to re-energise the field of child and youth rights in social justice processes through a growing networks of child rights actors and to further consolidate, evidence and develop the REJUVENATE principles. Upon publishing our working paper Learning from a Living archive: Rejuvenating Child and Youth Rights and Participation in December 2020, we issued a call to action to academics, practitioners, decision makers, advocates, and programme implementers involved in working with children and young people to enter into critical dialogue with our work 'as the start of an inclusive process of contributing to and building up international dialogue about children's and youth participation and creating regional networks to share learning on concepts, rights, and goals'. As part of this process, on 14 September we are hosting a virtual dialogue for thinkers and doers in the fields of child rights and children and youth participation. Panellists will share their work and respond and reflect on the REJUVENATE principles, leading to broader discussions with event participants. This was a webinar event, with a diverse audience from different parts of the world including ODA countries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://rejuvenate.global/rejuvenate-dialogue-on-14th-september/ |
| Description | Transforming Participation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was an interactive presentation, that caused much reflection on practice. Monteral, Centre for Health and Social Services (October 2014) Further work planned in future |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |