Rethinking Children and Research: Attitudes in Contemporary Society

In this review of Rethinking Children and Research: Attitudes in Contemporary Society the reviewer finds a thoughtful, theory-informed guide for researchers and educators interested in child-focused studies. The book's strongest reason to buy is its sustained argument for listening to children as knowledgeable participants, paired with practical guidance on research design and ethics. It reads as both a theoretical intervention and a pragmatic handbook, useful to those rethinking power relations in research with children and seeking a clear route from philosophy to practice.

Key Features

• Child-centred approach: Emphasises listening to children as experts on their own lives and explains how to incorporate their perspectives into research design.
• Ethics guidance: Discusses contemporary ethical debates and offers frameworks for approaching research from a child-rights perspective.
• Theory and practice balance: Combines theoretical discussion with practice-based perspectives so readers can move from ideas to fieldwork.
• Power dynamics focus: Examines how to rethink power relationships between adults and children within research contexts for fairer collaboration.
• Research design advice: Provides insights on implementation and presentation that help shape coherent, child-sensitive studies.

Who It's For

Rethinking Children and Research is aimed at postgraduate students, academic researchers and practitioners in education or social sciences who want a reasoned case for treating children as active research participants. It will be especially useful for those designing studies that require ethical sensitivity and participatory methods.

Those seeking a step-by-step methods manual with detailed protocols or extensive empirical datasets should look elsewhere; this book is stronger on conceptual framing and applied guidance than it is a source of exhaustive methodological checklists.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear advocacy for a child-rights framework that helps reshape ethical thinking in research.
• Balanced coverage of theory and practice that supports both conceptual understanding and field application.
• Practical advice on design and presentation that makes it useful for dissertation and project planning.

Cons

• Not a detailed step-by-step methods manual, so readers wanting exhaustive procedural templates may need supplementary texts.

Specifications

Title	Rethinking Children and Research: Attitudes in Contemporary Society
Series	New Childhoods
Authors	Mary Kellett, Phil Jones
Focus	Research theory, philosophy of children and practice-based perspectives
Key topics	Child voices, ethics, child-rights framework, power dynamics
Intended audience	Researchers, postgraduate students, educators

Our Verdict

Rethinking Children and Research is a well-argued, practical book for anyone re-evaluating how research engages with children. Its combination of ethical reflection and actionable guidance makes it good value for students and researchers who need a principled foundation and clearer routes to participatory, child-sensitive studies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book cover research ethics?
Yes. It considers recent ethical debates and recommends approaching research with children from a child-rights perspective.

Is it suitable for novice researchers?
Yes; the book balances theory and practice and is appropriate for postgraduate students, though novices may want additional methods texts for procedural detail.

Are children's voices a central focus?
Absolutely. The authors promote listening to children as experts on their own lives and explain how to incorporate those perspectives into research.