An interactive illustration of participative research process workshops with youth

Abstract

This interactive component will illustrate the use of Participative Research Process (PRP) workshops with young people. PRP, as a method, is based upon Health Promotion principles, in that it facilitates participation, equity, and empowerment (WHO, 1986). Participative research aims to ensure that the views of participants are reproduced in their terms, rather than interpreted by researchers. This makes it possible to “access and valorise previously neglected knowledges and provide more nuanced understandings of complex social phenomena†(Kesby, 2000, p.423). The implicit belief is that valid data can be elicited by moving away from young participants being treated as respondents to inquiry instruments, to being partners in a transformative research process (Bowd et al., 2010). PRP workshops add the inclusion of fun to the basic assumptions that processes should have meaning and value for the participants (O’Higgins et al., 2010; Sixsmith et al., 2007). If an activity is perceived as being fun, participants become more enthusiastic about engaging with it (Barker & Weller, 2003b). The workshops also need to be rewarding by contributing to something valued by the participants. Focusing on enjoying the process together rather than just focusing on the outcomes helps to build a sense of belonging and ensure that participation is meaningful now and not just in the future. This is not the same as advocating a ‘child-friendly’ technique, which could undermine the belief in young people as competent social agents (Punch, 2002), nor would it recognise the heterogeneity of young people’s lives (Christensen & James, 2003)