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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Inspired by the debates on participatory methods and drawing from
research on “digital childhoods” in Portugal, this chapter aims to
address the methodological innovations and challenges in collecting
visual and digital data with children at their homes. As one of the
stages of a research project on internet use, children were asked to
take photos of their favorite objects at home and to collect screenshots
of their most used webpages, followed by a conversation with the
researcher. The use of photography allowed children greater expression
and autonomy and gave researchers access to the children’s own
perspectives on their home environment. It also provided unique information
about the arrangement of digital objects at home and their different appropriations by girls and boys. Screenshots showed creative
uses of the internet by children and gender differences. Ethical
concerns were raised, due to the specific nature of working with
children and with visual material (anonymization and dissemination).
Entering the domestic setting provided a privileged access to children’s
private sphere and to the in situ observation of their use of technology.
However, the home is not a neutral place for a researcher and crossing
the border into the private domain involves risks. These findings,
illustrated by empirical examples from the research field, stress the
importance of reflecting on and discussing the potentials, limitations,
and ethical considerations of different methodologies, as well as their
suitability to specific research objects, subjects, and contexts.
Description
Keywords
Research with children Participatory methods Visual methods Children’s uses of internet
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Almeida, A. N. de, Carvalho, D., & Delicado, A. (2017). Accessing Children’s Digital Practices at Home through Visual Methods: Innovations and Challenges. In Ingrid E. Castro , Melissa Swauger , Brent Harger (ed.), Researching Children and Youth: Methodological Issues, Strategies, and Innovations (Sociological Studies of Children and Youth, Volume 22), pp. 349-374. Emerald Publishing Limited
Publisher
Emerald