ABSTRACT
In this article, we focus on child perspective methodology when co-researching well-being with children and young people. The paper explores how to produce and analyse data produced with children and young people, and how to further develop the method of co-researching with them? We combined visual and verbal methods by using photo elicitation interviews (N = 16) and drawing group discussions (N = 49) to study the subjective well-being of 2–16-year-olds in their residential areas. We found out that by combining two methods it is possible to achieve a wider view of children’s subjective well-being. However, we must be aware that well-being is a complex entity and that there are barriers to use child perspective methods. Co-researching requires situationality, reciprocity and the researcher’s willingness to hear the perspectives of children.
Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to all the children and young people who participated in this study. We also warmly thank the parents of the children, staff of the comprehensive school of Liipola and the Department of Education and Culture in the City of Lahti for allowing us to carry out the research with the children.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1 Interviewers: researchers Kati Honkanen, Jaana Poikolainen and research assistant Hanna Ruusunen.