The role of ‘friendship as method’ with child co-researchers in the primary school environment

Bennion, Holly; Rutter, Nikki

Abstract

Within social science research the complex nature of relationship-making and ‘friendship as method’ has gained enthusiasm. However, there is still a significant lack of research on ‘friendship as method’ with children and young people in participatory studies. Drawing on empirical case studies, we ask: how does ‘friendship as method’ work in research with children? The paper considers the role of vulnerability and reservations, friendship facilitator, and discusses the ethical dimensions of creating and sustaining ‘friendships’ between researcher and participants (as co-researchers). We argue that friendships in research are not a hierarchical or linear continuum, but a spectrum: friendships often mean different things to different people at different times; they can be positive and negative, both liberating and restrictive, fleeting and sustained, energising and tiresome. We recommend that participatory research with children considers not only the participatory components of power and action, but the emotionality and relationality of participatory research with children.

Citation

Bennion, H., & Rutter, N. (2024). The role of ‘friendship as method’ with child co-researchers in the primary school environment. Educational Action Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2024.2310539

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 24, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jan 30, 2024
• Publication Date: Jan 30, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jan 30, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 31, 2024
• Journal: Educational Action Research
• Print ISSN: 0965-0792
• Electronic ISSN: 1747-5074
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2024.2310539
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2187216