My thesis project is part of a larger project on disabled children’s rights to leisure and recreation, where my sub-study will explore how the children perceive the targeted leisure space that the project studies. The project is based on the rights established at the UN level, as formulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (article 23 and 31), as well as in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (article 30), who together emphasize disabled children’s rights to leisure activities and recreation which is adapted after their ability to participate.
In my part of the study, I will focus on the children who visit the leisure space to take part of their perspectives on the possibilities and obstacles of the leisure space as such but also the possibility to meaningful participation in leisure activities at large. This seeks to highlight children’s voices on the topic of what a targeted leisure space can do for children with neuropsychiatric possibilities for meaningful leisure and recreation.
Why is it important to include children’s perspectives in research?
Child studies highlight children’s right to
participate and be heard in research, which is also highlighted in articles 12
and 13 in the UNCRC. At the same time, the spoken word is often prioritized,
meaning that children who primarily communicate in ways other than by speaking
are often made invisible in research. A further ambition in my research is
therefore to make space for children’s perspectives in ways other than by speaking
to children. It is important to me that children, regardless of their communicative
abilities and preferences, have the opportunity to contribute to research. Furthermore,
I am also interested in questions concerning how we in research can represent
children’s voices in an ethical and representative way.
Teaching
I teach on several courses at the international Master’s programme in Child Studies and am the course coordinator for the course Children, Gender and Sexuality (7.5 credits). I am also part of the standalone courses Listening to children: child perspective and children’s perspectives (7.5 credits) and Children, culture and leisure (7.5 credits).
I also teach on courses at the Primary school teacher programme with a specialization in extended school teaching as well as the career based education to Primary school teacher programme with a specialization in extended school teaching. I am part of courses which treat questions of children, childhood and leisure and perspectives related to child studies. I also contribute with questions and perspectives concerning children, leisure and disability in several courses.
