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Situating Children's Voices: Considering the Context When Conducting Research with Young Children
Author(s) -
Khoja Nazeeha
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
children and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-0860
pISSN - 0951-0605
DOI - 10.1111/chso.12143
Subject(s) - feeling , dissent , context (archaeology) , psychology , power (physics) , social psychology , sociology , developmental psychology , politics , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , political science , law , biology
I problematise my own concept of children's voices in research by reflecting on certain practices in a study that I conducted in a kindergarten classroom in a city in Saudi Arabia. I examine the cultural and social contexts of my research by drawing on my experience of obtaining children's assent or dissent, my assumptions regarding the possibility of reducing power differentials, and finally, my understanding of the ways children voice their feelings and views. I conclude that voices manifest themselves in multiple ways that extend beyond visual or verbal media. Voices are constructed socially and are shaped culturally to reflect norms regarding how individuals should express their views and feelings within a particular setting and time.