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Abstract
In this article, I draw on my experiences as a non-binary researcher in a high school to interrogate the normative construction of adulthood. I centre the discussion on the concept of adulthood in order to interrogate a presumption within the field of education that all researchers are recognized as adults. I argue that a person’s adherence to cisheteronormative logics is an integral aspect of being recognized as an adult and that people who do not move in legible ways along a socio-culturally prescribed trajectory of growing up can instead be positioned as non-adults. I explore the complexities of generating research in an age-striated space as a person who is not read as an adult. I argue that non-adults navigate distinct challenges as well as unique possibilities in education research because of their divergent ways of moving through field sites. I assert that grappling with questions of adulthood is necessary for youth-focused education research and end with ideas on what this thinking may make possible for future methodological work.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1 All names have been changed.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
LJ Slovin
LJ Slovin is a doctoral candidate and sessional instructor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. After spending a year back in high school, they are currently writing their dissertation on the ways gender nonconforming youth navigate schooling.