About the Project
Over the past decades, the everyday lives of children and youth have become increasingly digitalised. Today, it no longer makes sense to refer to the digital part of life as something separate or distinct from other aspects of life. The digital in everyday life is life. In this project, we seek knowledge about and understanding of how and in what ways digitalisation may impact children and young people who live in public care.
The children participating in the project are between the ages of 12 and 18 and live in foster homes or institutions. This is a group considered vulnerable due to their life experiences. Both their past and present circumstances make them particularly vulnerable to adveres challenges when it comes to everyday life and development. In this study semi-structured in depth interviews will allow the participating children to share their experiences of using digital devices and platforms and having digital contact with others. Through concrete and experience-based narratives, the aim is to develop new knowledge about the significance of digitalisation for the children´s lives and well-being.
The overall research question is:
- How do children in care experience their digital everyday lives and what significance does this have for children's lives and well-being?
Research questions which guide the interviews and the project as a whole:
- How do children in care experience their digital everyday lives?
- How do children in care experience digital contact with others in everyday life?
- What specific opportunities and challenges do children in care experience in relation to digital contact and digital everyday life?
The project takes a phenomenological approach, where the children´s own stories and experiences form the empirical foundation. An important part of the project is the use of participatory research methods. This means that young adults with child welfare experience who have themselves lived outside the home are engaged as co-researchers. With their experience-based knowledge, the co-researchers can contribute to a deeper understanding of the children´s narratives. This strengthens the project´s relevance and increases the degree of participation. The co-researchers are involved throughout the project - in the planning, implementation and dissemination of research findings.
Timeframe
August 2023 - august 2027
Type of project
Ph.d.-project
The aim of the project
The aim of the project is to develop new, in-depth, and nuanced knowledge about the digital everyday lives of children in care. Children and young people living in foster homes or institutions, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, deserve the best possible help and support. This is a legal, professional, and ethical obligation. Based on the children´s own experiences, the project will contribute to a deeper understanding of digitalisation in everyday life, children´s meaning-making in the interaction between children and digital technology, and specifically how this contributes to the child´s life and sense of well-being. Increased knowledge about the opportunities and challenges children experience can help the adults around them provide better support and follow-up.
Financing
Internal
Responsible for the project
Main supervisor: Professor Lilliana Andrea del Busso
Co-supervisor: Associate Professor Marina Snipsøyr Sletten
Project Affiliation
The project is being carried out at the Ph.d.-programme "Digitalisation and Society" at Østfold University College