Journey With Me: Wanderings and Wonderings Through Childhoods

Dominant assumptions and views of children and childhood inform and guide educational policy and practice and have worked to institutionalize meanings of children and childhood. Within the sociology of childhood, literature has challenged these assumptions by recognizing the lived realities of children as contextually specific and historically dynamic, and by acknowledging the existence of multiple situations and perspectives of childhood (James & James, 2012; Mayall, 2002; Prout & James, 1997), however, these understandings are majoritively considered from an adult perspective. This qualitative study welcomes children’s perceptions and narratives into discussions of children and childhoods by exploring five children’s perspectives and narratives. This study is influenced by the Mosaic approach, “a multi-method, polyvocal approach that brings together different perspectives in order to create with children an image of their worlds” (Clark, 2017, p. 17). Semi-structured conversations, photography and child-led walking tours of their neighbourhoods provided the participants with an opportunity to express their thoughts, opinions, and retellings of their own lived experiences. Working within a social-critical paradigm and underpinned by the sociology of childhood, critical childhood studies, and post-structuralism, the aim of this inquiry is to explore from the perspectives of children themselves. Employing poetic inquiry alongside a thematic narrative analysis the child participants’ narratives are explored through the discussions of adult/child constructs; freedoms, restrictions and resistance; relationships; and been, being and becoming, and their decision-making and influence on curriculum. In conclusion, recommendations for future practices and areas for further research are discussed. Positioning children, rather than adults, as the storytellers of their lived realities this study works to de-objectifying children in conversations of children and childhood and seeks to acknowledge children as active and valued members of society, and important tellers of their own stories.