ABSTRACT

Younger children in urban settings are predisposed to numerous risks, yet their ‘voices’ remain underrepresented in research making them unheard and invisible. The paucity of methods that encourage children’s direct participation in studies from such settings, in effect, limits exploration of their ability to engage meaningfully in voicing their lived experiences and potentially informing protection interventions that target them. This paper draws from a study carried out in Kenya and South Africa, which in part sought children’s perspectives on their lived experiences within their urban environment. Qualitative methods utilized in data collection included drawing, telling and conversations. The findings highlight risk exposures children contend with, which have an implication on child protection, safe spaces, mobility of children in urban areas, creating child-friendly neighbourhoods, policies and methodological approaches that intensify younger children’s ‘voices’, in highlighting lived experiences.

摘要

城市环境中的年幼儿童容易面临许多风险，但他们的声音' 在研究中的代表性仍然不足，使他们闻所未闻和不可见。实际上，缺乏鼓励儿童在此类环境中直接参与研究的方法限制了对他们有意义地参与表达他们生活经历的能力的探索，并可能为针对他们的保护干预措施提供信息。本文取材于在肯尼亚和南非进行的一项研究，该研究在一定程度上寻求儿童对他们在城市环境中的生活经历的看法。数据收集中使用的定性方法包括绘图、讲述和对话。研究结果强调了儿童面临的风险，这对儿童保护、安全空间、城市地区儿童的流动性、创建对儿童友好的社区、声音”，强调生活经验。