Small is Powerful

Abstract

As a participant at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Sharon Stephens highlighted her experiences of children's participation at the conference: `Many of the young people at the conference expressed frustration with the official convention negotiations and felt that, while their presence was desired as a sign of the importance conference organizers placed on the participation of children and youth, in fact their views were not really taken seriously.' Her sensitive observations highlight the importance of analysing discourses on `children and participation' in a historical cultural context, and question the current, flourishing interest in those discourses. The aim of this article is to contribute to a discussion on how discourses on `children and participation' are deeply embedded in discursive fields other than children and their rights. Studies of participatory projects in Norway illuminate in particular an interrelatedness between constructions of childhood and constructions of sustainable local communities in Norway in the 1990s.

Progressing children’s participation: Exploring the potential of a dialogical turn

“…Each of these has contributed independently and collectively to shaping understandings of children as having the voice and status of citizens and thus capable of participation in various aspects of social and political life. No longer an ideal, children's participation is accepted as strengthening the status of children, challenging issues associated with their social exclusion, emboldening the accountability and responsiveness of institutions, as well as contributing far-reaching benefits for children's well-being, their families and wider communities (Kirby and Bryson, 2002;Kjørholt, 2002;Smith, 2007).…”

Mellom uansvarlig og kompetent - Forståelser av barnet og rettighetspraksiser blant ansatte i barnevernsinstitusjoner

“…Barnevernsinstitusjoner, Diskurser, Barn, Ungdom, Tvang, Rettigheter, Profesjonell praksis I løpet av de siste 20 årene har barns rettigheter og deltakelse i samfunnet blitt satt på den politiske dagsorden nasjonalt og internasjonalt (Kjørholt, 2002(Kjørholt, , 2007. Norge har blitt beskrevet som et foregangsland både når det gjelder forståelsen av barn som aktive aktører med egne rettigheter, og den praktiske tilretteleggingen for barns medvirkning i sosiale og personlige spørsmål (Bartley, 1998;Kjørholt og Lindén, 2004;Picot, 2014).…”

“…Diskursen har paralleller til det som i kunnskapsfeltet har blitt beskrevet som rettighetsdiskursen. Denne åpner for en mer individuell tilnaerming der barnet konstrueres som en autonom og kompetent aktør med egne rettigheter (Brembeck et al, 2004;James et al, 1998;Kjørholt, 2002;Nielsen, 2002;Warming, 2011). Rettighetsdiskursen fremheves av mange som den dominerende diskursen i lovgivning og politisk styring av barneomsorgen (Goodyer, 2013;Hennum, 2015;Holthe, 2002;Kjørholt, 2007;Roose og De Bie, 2008;Wells, 2011).…”