‘I drew myself playing football with the clouds and the sun’: qualitative research methods to explore children’s leisure experiences in disadvantaged contexts of less economically developed countries

ABSTRACT

In leisure studies, qualitative research investigating leisure experiences in underprivileged contexts has focused mainly on adults of economically developed countries. Accordingly, this article aims to determine the suitability of qualitative methods used in previous investigations, such as interviews and photo-elicitation, in addition to drawings and the creation of mock-ups, to investigate how children in deprived contexts but less economically developed countries experience leisure. Therefore, we used these methods in a case study with children living in the informal settlements of Soacha (Colombia). Based on this case study, we conclude that qualitative research methods enabled us to determine the nature of children’s leisure, their leisure constraints, as well as their meanings associated with free time and leisure. Besides, these methods enabled us to reach leisure places challenging to visit, identify collective children’s leisure constraints and their expectations about leisure facilities in their neighbourhood. Finally, based on children’s points of view gathered by these methods on their daily leisure experience, we propose some lines of action that help improve children’s leisure in informal settlements and support their right to influence leisure programmes provided for them.

KEYWORDS:

• Qualitative research methods
• leisure experience
• children
• poverty
• informal settlements
• lines of action

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

The requirement for approval was waived by ethics committee.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Banco Santander [UNESCO Chair in Human Resources for Latin America, University of Deusto]; Leisure Studies Association [The Maureen Harrington Fund for Promoting Leisure Studies].

Notes on contributors

Andrea Diaz-Hernandez

Andrea Diaz-Hernandez is a research associate at the Institute of Leisure Studies at the University of Deusto (UD) in Bilbao, Spain. In October 2016, she received a doctoral fellowship granted by UNESCO Chair in Human Resources for Latin America. In 2020, she got her doctoral degree in Leisure, Culture and Communication for Human Development at UD. Her doctoral dissertation focused on children’s leisure experiences in informal settlements, which received the Maureen Harrington Fund for Promoting Leisure Studies. Dr. Diaz-Hernandez has more than five years of volunteer work in civic organizations in Colombia and Spain. She has also been a professor at La Salle University and Javeriana University in Bogotá. Her research interests focus on children and youth leisure experiences in disadvantaged contexts and asylum-seekers leisure experiences.

Idurre Lazcano

Idurre Lazcano Quintana is a researcher at the Institute of Leisure Studies at the University of Deusto (UD), Spain, and is a member of the Leisure and Human Development Official Research Group of the Basque Government. She is the Director of the Master Program Leisure Project Management at UD and a professor in different postgraduate programs. Since 2005, she is the Academic Coordinator of master thesis and has been director of more than sixty academic works at UD. Lazcano is the author and co-author of different monographs, book chapters, and papers in specialized journals.