Children’s Perceptions about their Cities: Reflections on Methodological Approaches

Abstract

The issue of child participation has been the subjetct of debates and systematic studies since the time of the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and, in Brazil, since the adoption of the Statute on the Child and the Adolescent (1990). The right to participation comprises a number of aspects including the right to a freedom of speech that incorporates respect for the voices and points of view of children and youth. Taking into account this background, our paper proposes a reflection on two ongoing projects. In both cases, photographs and videos were used as advantaged resources in the investigations. The goal is to reflect on what methodologies nurture connections among researchers, teachers, and children and allows new insights to be gained. The results of this study are in line with the literature that focuses on the requirements of research involving meaningful children’s participation.