Childhood, free time and everyday lives: comparing children’s views in Sweden and the United States

Abstract

Research relating to children’s views on their childhood and everyday activities, as well as comparative studies around this topic, is still lacking. From this background, the current study hopes to contribute new knowledge to this field of research. This study is a comparative study exploring how children aged 6–7 years experience their everyday lives and free time in Sweden and the United States. Methodologically, children’s experience of their childhood is central to the study. This study will provide new insights into how children in Sweden and the United States experience their daily lives. The analysis shows that the children’s stories are framed from two main discourses: regulated free time and stress. From a methodological perspective, but also from a wider societal perspective, this raises questions about taking children’s voices into account.