Negotiating power dynamics through co-reflexivity in research with young children in disadvantaged communities

Abstract

This paper addresses how unequal power dynamics in research with young children in disadvantaged communities can be negotiated through co-reflexivity. It explores this through two different projects, the “London Study” and the “Beirut Study”, which researched the play of young children from families living with disadvantage in two distinct cultures. First, we highlight similarities between both studies' methodological and ethical approaches that were designed to ‘listen’ to the children, ensure ‘ongoing consent’ and co-create knowledge through co-reflexivity. We then draw on data from each study to demonstrate how, in their unique contexts, co-reflexivity was crucial to address researcher–child power dynamics.