This symposium will present the findings of an interdisciplinary research project recently carried out by the School of Applied Social Studies and the Faculty of Law, University College Cork, Ireland. The research explores the extent to which children and young people (aged 7-17 years) contribute to decisions affecting them in the realms of home, school and community.
The research explores the contrasting perspectives of children, young people and adults on the extent to which children and young people participate in decision-making on a daily basis. Moreover, the tension between the theory and the lived reality of children’s participation is explored.
The symposium would comprise three papers:
1. Lived Realities of Children and Young People’s Participation at Home;
2. Lived Realities of Children and Young People’s Participation in School;
3. Lived Realities of Children and Young People’s Participation in Community;
and
4. an Interactive Session on Researching with Children and Young People.
The symposium would be attractive to both academics and practitioners from a variety of disciplines working with children and young people.