The Ambiguity of the Child's ‘Voice’ in Social Research

• Published in: Childhood (Copenhagen, Denmark) Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 11 - 28
• Main Author: Komulainen, Sirkka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, Thousand Oaks and New Delhi SAGE Publications 01.02.2007; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Ambiguity; Child Welfare; Childhood; Children; Children & youth; Childrens Rights; Communication; Communication Problems; Discourses; Epistemology; Ethics; Ethnography; Interaction; Professional ethics; Reflexivity; Research Ethics; Research Methodology; Research Subjects; Social construction; Social interaction; Social research; Social Science Research; Social sciences; Social sciences research; Special needs children; Special Needs Students; Theory; Voice; Young Children; voice; social construction; ambiguity; childhood; communication
• ISSN: 0907-5682; 1461-7013
• DOI: 10.1177/0907568207068561

This article addresses the ambiguity of the child's ‘voice’ in social research. Drawing on a recent research project on young children's communication difficulties, the author argues that the currently popular discourse on ‘listening to children’ is beset with practical and ethical ambiguities that result from the ‘socialness’ of human interaction, discourses and practices. In particular, the author argues that the notion of the child's ‘voice’ is, despite being a powerful rhetorical device, socially constructed. This article illustrates and discusses ambiguities that arose from fieldwork in two ‘special needs’ settings, considering their epistemological implications for social research, and offers reflexivity as a strategy for ethical research conduct.