Expect the Unexpected Natalie Bolzan and Fran Gale Social Justice Social Change Research Centre...
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Transcript of Expect the Unexpected Natalie Bolzan and Fran Gale Social Justice Social Change Research Centre...
Expect the Unexpected
Natalie Bolzan and Fran Gale
Social Justice Social Change Research CentreUniversity of Western Sydney
Hearing from Children and Young people is becoming orthodoxy
Desire to hear from service usersGreater accuracy in understanding what
is being exploredResponse to the UN Convention on the
rights of Children to participate in decisions which affect them
Researching with children and Young people is not easy
Protection form unethical researchersThose who participate will not be
disadvantagedIssues around how to communicate with
childrenHow to collect data and how to record it
Social Foundations of Resilience
Young people in three sites in New South Wales.
‘Interrupted space’Youth workerSmall budgetRegular time to get togetherThe projects would last for 18mnths
The unexpected
Creativity
Entrenched relations
Authenticity
‘Through the Looking Glass’
Creativity
Entrenched Relations
Young people had internalised adults as the decision makers.
Adults wanted the young people to succeed
Adults had internalised themselves as ultimately responsible
‘Adults know best’ Us and them
Authenticity
Adults believed they were giving young people the power
Young people know this does not/can not happen
Young people have power and they will exercise it
A relationship grounded in reality
Lessons for us
Young people have a lot to teach us, learning is a way of life for them and they are keen to share the experience
They can be extremely patient but… If we are too obtuse, unresponsive or
patronising they simply stop and won’t bother with us.
The best results seem to emerge with the journey toward understanding is shared and the differences are acknowledged as are the similarities.
‘We are but older children dear who fret to find our bedtime near’.
(Through the Looking Glass. Lewis Carroll)
We really are all in this together.