Complexities of Researching with Young People

Book excerpt: Currently, most books on youth research available on the market focus on ‘how to’ conduct youth research or the research process itself. This edited collection proposes to take this process a step further and discuss the complexities of youth research from a practical and theoretical context. In total, five themes are examined – conceptualising young people, ethics and consent, the digital, voice, participation and unexpected tensions. In this book, authors from six countries explore the complexities of researching with young people across disciplines and national contexts. Offering a closeup examination of their own research experiences, the authors address the complexities of researching with young people beyond simple questions of protection from harm and coercion by problematising notions of ‘resilience’, ‘participation’, ‘risk’ and ‘voice’. This edited collection takes the reader through an exploration of its key themes and, in doing so, presents a cast of candid and insightful accounts from youth researchers situated within the humanities and social sciences.