Listening to the Child with Prof. Anne Graham

In this podcast, prof. Anne Graham, Australian researcher and academic, reflects on the important balance between the wisdom of children and the need to instruct, guide and protect them. "Researchers have historically seen children as human becomings, “human belongings”, rather than people in their own right" says Anne. Working with children in the context of research, Anne talks of a significant gap: “We would do research about them but not with them”. “Over the years, we’ve developed a far more respectful understanding of children as human beings and what they can tell us. Children do best when they are working collaboratively with adults. When it comes to ways in which we approach the research, we need to define tailored ways, safe methods. In the learning that we do, when we are present and in the kind of research I need to do, we need to create a space where we can really be present. “