Course content

The course will provide an introduction to main perspectives, methods and techniques in child and childhood research. Children's perspectives within research involve the exploration of children's everyday lives from their perspectives and experiences. Ethnographic approaches, including various forms of interviews, observations, visual methods and fieldwork, a 'participatory' and 'mixed methods' approach will be addressed in particular. Historical methods and analysis of texts and documents are also relevant. Though the main emphasis is on qualitative research, various quantitative methods and the combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches will be touched. Accessing children as informants and research ethics are other topics. The lectures will draw on ongoing empirical research based at the centre as well as from the international community of children and childhood researchers.

Learning outcome

The course aims to introduce methods and techniques, often used in child and childhood research and prepare students to prepare an inquiry, through lectures, reading, practical exercises and discussion.
* Child and childhood research: Introduce the background for and the basic perspectives and principles related to empirical research with children and on childhood as a social phenomenon.
* 'Tool box': Develop a repertoire of methods by means of concrete examples, a manual for participatory approaches, student exercises and plenary and group discussions. Present the pros and cons by qualitative and quantitative approaches.
* Ethics: Develop knowledge about basic ethical principles in research, both in general and in child and childhood research in particular.

Learning methods and activities

Total lecture hours: 20 hours, total seminar hours: up to 12 hours. The course consists of: (1) A common introduction with lectures. (2) A seminar with presentation and discussion of the individual students' term papers. The student will be required to do a practical exercise (e.g. an interview, text analysis and/or observation). Based on this exercise, the student must write a term paper. Each student will be required to comment on another student's term paper.

Compulsory assignments

• Oral presentation

Recommended previous knowledge

See required previous knowledge.

Required previous knowledge

Admittance to the course requires a bachelor's degree in a social science or humanities discipline, or equivalent.

Course materials

Information will be given at the beginning of the semester.

Credit reductions