Support for Children’s Protagonism: Methodological Moves towards Critical Children Rights Research Framed from Below

Abstract

With notable exceptions, there is a lack of critique in existing approaches to children’s rights based research. Where children’s rights research is also co-research with children, a critical approach requires that children are enabled to challenge assumptions about, and definitions of, rights, as well as to lead the process and to try to bring about change. This paper argues that creative methods and structured intergenerational dialogue can support critical children rights research ‘from below’. We illustrate this approach using research by disabled children and young people, who reflected on their own experiences and the provisions of three international Conventions (UNCRC, UNCRPD and ICESCR). Effectively engaging with existing international Conventions meant matching children’s claims to rights in their everyday contexts with existing rights provisions. This framework was then used to analyse qualitative research with other disabled children and their families. The young co-researchers are now using the findings in their protagonism for social change.