Reflections on interviewing children living in difficult circumstances: courage, caution and co-production

Abstract

Recent methodological discussions among childhood researchers seeking to empower children have, to a large extent, circled around ways to widen the boundaries for children’s conventional involvement as research informants, leaving the interview encounter somewhat unexplored. This article directs attention to the co-production of knowledge that takes place between an interviewer and an interviewee. It argues that, and aims at making explicit how, informants can participate in the production of knowledge in decisive and ethically sound ways through conventional interviews, even when research issues are sensitive and informants are under age.

Keywords:

• qualitative interviews
• co-production
• children
• sensitive issues

Acknowledgements

Several people have contributed with constructive comments on different versions of this article. I wish to thank the two anonymous reviewers, the editors and several colleagues, in particular Agnes Andenæs, Erica Burman, Virginia Morrow, Hilde Lidén and Ingrid Smette. I am also grateful to Loretta Fritz for her competent copy-editing.

Notes

1. Two of the 19 informants were over 18 and thus entitled to consent on their own behalf. For the remaining 17, consent came through the mother. An employee at the shelter handed out written information addressed to mothers with children of school age, asking them to let their children take part and encouraging them to ask their children if they wanted to do so. All mothers agreed to let their children take part. One child did not want to participate.