A “Thick” Conception of Children’s Voices: A Hermeneutical Framework for Childhood Research

Abstract

“Listening to children’s voices” can help foster respectful regard for their experiences and concerns and promote the recognition of children as active agents; that is, persons who have interests and capacities to participate in discussions and decisions that affect them and other people. However, “listening to children’s voices” can have many different forms, and the ways that these voices should be linked to children’s agency can be unclear. I outline several common misconceptions that can impede “listening to children’s voices” as forms of epistemological oppression. I argue for a thick conception of children’s voices, recognizing that children’s expressions are relationally embedded expressions of their agency. Understanding children’s voices and experiences requires hermeneutical approaches that can help discern what is meaningful for a child in a particular situation. I discuss ontological, epistemological, and methodological shifts that are required for hermeneutical inquiry with children and outline specific methods that can be used, oriented by guiding questions. This hermeneutical methodology can help advance our understanding of children’s experiences as well as their aspirations and concerns in research and in professional practice.

Childhood Ethics: An ontological advancement for childhood studies

“…Listening to their voices implies attending to articulations and significations that extend beyond mere audible utterances. Drawing on the notion of ‘thick agency’ (Esser, 2016), we have developed elsewhere a thick conception of children's voices, recognising that children's expressions and related meanings are relationally embedded articulations of their agency (Carnevale, 2020). We draw on hermeneutic approaches to discern what is meaningful for children in various situations.…”

“…Elsewhere, we have described this process as a form of hermeneutic inquiry (Carnevale, 2017; Carnevale, Teachman, & Bogossian, 2017). This process can be used with all children, regardless of age or expressive capacities, given that agential expression is not limited solely to children's verbal articulation — referring again to a ‘thick’ conception of children's voices (Carnevale, 2020). We have published demonstrations of these approaches applied to various situations, such as those described at the beginning of this paper; for example, youth with gender identity concerns (Noiseux et al., 2019), First Nations youth with cancer (Van Praagh et al., 2018), child welfare (Montreuil et al., 2017; Van Praagh et al., 2018), Tanzanian community (Sebti et al., 2019); as well as other related scenarios (Carnevale, 2012; Carnevale & Gaudreault, 2013).…”

Ethical perplexities of researching with children in uncertain times: a dialogic approach

“…A 'thin' reading (Carnevale, 2020;Spyrou, 2016) of this artwork -one which ignores its dialogicality and takes it in isolation and at face value -could portray Arthur as a damaged or troubled child, a victim of his service family life. If we try to 'interpret backward' (Leander & Boldt, 2013, p. 33) from the apple as a text-object, we might conclude that Arthur lacks the resilience which many claim characterises children from armed forces families (Clifton, 2007;McCullouch & Hall, 2016) -or is even expected of themand that perhaps he needs some sort of intervention programme.…”

«Ella es mi favorita»: perspectivas infantiles sobre el buen cuidado en residencias

“…Al analizar la literatura nacional e internacional sobre cuidado en ámbitos residenciales es posible observar que la mayoría de estas investigaciones se han centrado en las perspectivas de los adultos y adultas sobre el cuidado, examinando las opiniones de profesionales, directivos o cuidadores (Gallegos et al, 2018;Sánchez-Reyes et al, 2019;Scopinho & Rossi, 2017). La investigación se ha mostrado renuente a documentar y analizar las opiniones de los propios niños y niñas sobre el tema del cuidado (Elden, 2012;García-Quiroga & Salvo-Agoglia, 2020), lo cual es relevante considerando el amplio desarrollo de los estudios de la infancia que han destacado la necesidad de escuchar y valorar las perspectivas de los niños y niñas en la toma de decisiones y en la elaboración de las políticas públicas (Carnevale, 2020;Christensen & James, 2017;Francischini & Fernandes, 2016;Malone & Hartung, 2010;Stafford et al, 2021;Vergara et al, 2015).…”