Respectful Research With and About Young Families

Book excerpt: This book explores the distinctive theoretical and methodological features associated with conducting ethical and respectful research with young families, along with its unique considerations and challenges. With parents and young children understood to be both major players and ‘first educators’ in supporting childhood health, development and learning, this book examines how opportunities for research can be conceptualised within this privileged space. This volume embraces an interdisciplinary approach to this research, examining topics such as researcher identity and positioning, issues of consent, notions of power and relationships with families, methods for collecting data and frameworks for making sense of that data. Rather than providing concrete methods of practices and tools, this book will help raise the consciousness of researchers who are engaged in research with these young families. It is sure to appeal to students and scholars of education and early childhood development, as well as those concerned with conducting research ethically and respectfully.