Innovative Research Methods in Childhood Studies: Participation, Creativity and Reflexivity - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798337385426

Publisher: Information Science Reference, 2026

Synopsis

Research involving children has undergone a significant transformation over recent decades, influenced by the emergence of Childhood Studies and broader epistemological shifts that recognize children as active participants in social life. Rather than being viewed solely as subjects of observation or developmental assessment, children are increasingly understood as competent social actors embedded within cultural, relational, and political contexts. This shift has created a growing need for methodological approaches that can more effectively capture the complexity, agency, and diversity of children's lived experiences. In response, researchers are adopting more participatory, ethical, and inclusive methods that center children's voices and perspectives. These approaches not only enrich the quality of research but also contribute to more equitable and representative knowledge production. Innovative Research Methods in Childhood Studies: Participation, Creativity and Reflexivity offers theoretical, methodological, and practical insights into contemporary approaches to research with children, integrating diverse paradigms and disciplinary perspectives. Grounded in Childhood Studies and the Sociology of Childhood, this book examines qualitative, participatory, visual, narrative, and digital methodologies, emphasizing ethical and creative ways of producing knowledge with children rather than simply about them. Covering topics such as rural children, ethnographic immersion, and well-being measurement, this book is an excellent academic resource for graduate and doctoral students, educators, cultural mediators, social workers, community-based practitioners, policymakers, NGO leaders, and more.

About this title

About the Author

Dhemy Brito is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education, University of Minho (Portugal), and a member of the Research Centre on Childhood Studies (CIEC). He holds a PhD in Childhood Studies from the University of Minho, where he developed an ethnographic study with children that explored authorship, creativity, and decision-making in collective contexts. His research lies at the intersection of Childhood Studies, Education, and the Arts, with a particular focus on participatory and child-centred methodologies. He has been actively engaged in developing innovative approaches for research with children, including conversational drawings, collaborative ethnography, and arts-based inquiry. Dhemy Brito is the author of several academic works that discuss children as competent social actors and legitimate authors of culture, as well as the right to participation, autonomy, and recognition in educational and cultural contexts. He coordinates the project Património Vivo para a Infância (Living Heritage for Childhood), which integrates archaeology, heritage education, and children’s participation in culturally situated learning experiences. His academic interests include participatory methodologies, the sociology of childhood, music and cultural practices of children, and the ethical and epistemological implications of doing research with children.

Edition details

• Publisher: Information Science Reference
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798337385426
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 514
• Editor: Brito Dhemy, Ferreira Fernando Ilídio, Çan Jasemin, Caputo Stela Guedes