Theatre Elicitation: developing a potentially child-friendly method with children aged 8–12

Simone Roerig, Sandra J.T.M. Evers

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This article discusses the growing body of literature published in Children Geographies on the importance of involving children in research processes. Inspired by participatory creative methods such as photo elicitation and popular/forum theatre, we have developed a potentially child-friendly tool referred to as Theatre Elicitation (TE). The objective of TE is to use theatre forms as a means of data collection in the context of a negotiated research process. In a pilot project in which we explore TE, children shared their perceptions of happiness. This was inspired by a UNICEF Report [2007. Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-being in Rich Countries. Innocenti Report Card 7. Florence: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre] that listed ‘Dutch children’ as the happiest of the world. The focus of this article is the development of TE as an interactive research tool. Insights were gained into the meaning of ‘child-friendly’ research, shifting power relations between children, peers and adults, and how children’s own positioning in lived experiences contextualized concepts such as ‘Dutch children’.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)133-147
Number of pages15
JournalChildren's Geographies
Volume17
Issue number2
Early online date25 Nov 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jul 2019

Funding

The first author is currently a joint PhD candidate funded by a VICI grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research [grant number 453-11-005]. The first author is currently a joint PhD candidate funded by a VICI grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research [grant number 453-11-005]. First of all, the authors thank all children who chose to participate in this research project. Moreover, the authors thank their parents and care takers for their consent. The authors also want to share their appreciation for the after-school organizations who worked with us and especially the group leaders who enabled them to conduct the research. Last but not least, the authors thank the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, VU University Amsterdam and Lydia Krabbendam.

FundersFunder number
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek453-11-005

    Keywords

    • Child-friendly methods; Theatre Elicitation; participatory creative methods; agency of children; power relations

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