| Data creators: |
|
| Contributors: |
| Name |
Affiliation |
ORCID (as URL) |
| Gbeglo Selassy |
Chance for Children |
|
| Rubambura Thomas d'Aquin |
PEDER (Programme d'encadrement des enfants de la rue / Street Children’s Mentoring Programme) |
|
| Chitsiku Shaibu |
Street Empowerment Trust (SET) |
|
|
| Sponsors: |
Backstage Trust, Economic and Social Research Council
|
| Grant reference: |
ES/M006107/1
|
| Topic classification: |
Law, crime and legal systems
Social welfare policy and systems
Housing and land use
Health
Social stratification and groupings
Education
Society and culture
|
| Keywords: |
STREET CHILDREN, YOUTH, CHILDREN'S RIGHTS, RIGHT TO HEALTH, RIGHT TO EDUCATION, FRIENDSHIP, FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, SEXUAL HEALTH, CITIES, URBAN SPACES, VULNERABLE GROUPS, HOMELESSNESS, HOMELESS PERSONS, CHILDREN, SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, AFRICA, LISTENERS, LISTENING
|
| Project title: |
Growing up on the Streets: Research with and for young people on the streets
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| Alternative title: |
Growing up on the Streets
|
| Grant holders: |
Lorraine Van Blerk, Wayne Shand, Patrick Shanahan (late)
|
| Project dates: |
| From | To |
|---|
| 8 July 2012 | 16 May 2016 |
|
| Date published: |
14 Sep 2020 16:10
|
| Last modified: |
12 Oct 2020 11:41
|
| Collection period: |
| Date from: | Date to: |
|---|
| 8 July 2012 | 20 May 2016 |
|
| Geographical area: |
Accra, Ghana; Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo; Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Country: |
Ghana, Congo, Zimbabwe |
| Spatial unit: |
No Spatial Unit |
| Data collection method: |
The research refined and applied to street life Amartya Sen’s (1999) and Martha Nassbaum’s (2000) capability approach and framework; rather than focus on the vulnerabilities of young people on the streets we must explore their capabilities to learn more about their lives and how to support them. Ten capability statements were developed through pilot research with street children and youth in Accra (see Briefing Paper 1 and Shand, 2014), developed into statements accompanied by visual images for street children and youth to refer. The capabilities are issues that the young people raised as pertinent to their ability to have flourishing lives on the streets and form the framework for collecting data on young people’s lives.
The collection of primary data followed a participatory street researcher philosophy whereby the research team work with street workers and street youth in each country to undertake their own ethnographic research (see Blazek, 2011; van Blerk 2013). Six research assistants, living on the streets, were selected in each country. The process of selection was participatory beginning with open information sessions on the research followed by a period of intense training. Some chose not to continue while others were unable to fully complete the training due to on-going commitments. A second further ethnographic training workshop then took place with the remaining young people in each country prior to finally being involved in the project. The ethnographic research training workshops equipped the young people with research skills based on the core principles of observation, questioning and listening.
Due to relatively low levels of formal education among street children and youth in each of the three cities (Harare, Bukavu and Accra), a verbal approach was adopted to capture the views and experiences of participants. The researchers engaged in weekly informal interviews with a project manager, who was also trained in ethnographic questioning and listening skills. Through these interviews a street ethnography is captured which focuses on capabilities and follows a network of ten young people per researcher. This process was triangulated with focus groups which facilitate the inclusion of the voices of a larger number of street children and youth.
In addition, a baseline survey of all young people taking part in the project was conducted over four years, enabling longitudinal data to be systematically collected and triangulated against the ethnographic interviews. 66 young people in each of the three cities were recruited to participate in the project (198 in total) but this number expanded across the participation types to be well over 500 over the three year period. |
| Observation unit: |
Individual |
| Kind of data: |
Text |
| Type of data: |
Cohort and longitudinal studies, Qualitative and mixed methods data |
| Resource language: |
English |
|
| Data sourcing, processing and preparation: |
As outlined in the methodology above, interviews were conducted by facilitators in each city with young people trained in ethnographic research. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed and simultaneously translated chiefly by three individuals, one in each city, who worked with the facilitators for the duration of the data collection period. Microsoft Word files were sent regularly via email to Janine Hunter at the University of Dundee who kept a spreadsheet of all interviews received. Word files were input by Janine into the qualitative coding programme NVivo 10 and then coded by her using the capabilities framework. Deposited here are uncoded anonymised interview data; chronologically collated Word files for each research assistant. Each document includes a Contents list; explanatory notes about the researchers, translator and facilitator, naming norms, and a list of pseudonyms used.
Due to the diverse contexts and experiences of young people living on the streets some data is of a sensitive nature.
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| Rights owners: |
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| Contact: |
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| Notes on access: |
The Data Collection is available for download to users registered with the UK Data Service. Commercial use of data is not permitted.
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| Publisher: |
UK Data Service
|
| Last modified: |
12 Oct 2020 11:41
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