Engaging in group research with migrant children: Innovative data collection method for migrant children in Delhi

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk.v30i1.1519

Abstract

In India, data point to a considerable number of children leaving or running away from their parental homes in rural villages and migrating to urban areas. Many end up in cities like Delhi where they are exposed to a number of risks and vulnerabilities. While many of these children reach cities with dreams of ‘making it big’, the reality of living on the street is fraught with challenges and danger. Against this backdrop, this study looked at the lived experiences of migrant children in Delhi using a group method- an innovative approach that is increasingly being used in research with children. Innovative techniques such as drawing, storytelling, and the like were used to initiate discussions with and among migrant children to help explore their pre- and post-migration experiences. At the end of the group sessions, many children reported that they felt heard and listened to, that their voice mattered, and that they had developed a sense of self-worth. It also produced rich data that yielded deep insights into the lived experiences of migrant children living on the streets of Delhi. Hence, it can be concluded that group work is an effective way of gathering data from migrant children. However, there are some of the issues and challenges with using group work as a research method with migrant children in an urban setting, which need to be considered in each context.

References

Agar, M., Macdonald, J., Basch, C., Bertrand, J., Brown, J. & Wight, D. (2005) Exploring children’s views through focus groups. in S. Greene, & D. Hogan Researching children’s experience. London: Sage (pp. 237-252)

Aldridge, J. (2014) Participatory research: Working with vulnerable groups in social research. London: SAGE Publications

Balen, R., Blyth, E., Calabretto, H., Fraser, C., Horrocks, C. & Manby, M. (2006) Involving Children in Health and Social Research: Human becoming or active beings? Childhood, 13, 1, 29–48

Basch, C. E. (1987) Focus Group Interview: An Underutilized Research technique For Improving Theory and Practice in Health Education. Health Education Quarterly, 14, 411-448

Bemak, F. (1996) Street Researchers: A New Paradigm Redefining Future Research with Street Children. Childhood, 3, 2, 147-156

Bogardus, E. S. (1926) The group interview. Journal of Applied Sociology, 10. 372-382

Davis, J. & Lopez-Carr, D. (2010) The effects of migrant remittances on population-environment dynamics in migrant origin areas: International migration, fertility, and consumption in highland Guatemala. Population and Environment, 32, 2–3, 216–237

Davis, K. (1951) The Population of India and Pakistan. New Jersey: Princeton University Press

Davis, P. (2007) Storytelling as a democratic approach to data collection: Interviewing children about reading. Educational Research, 49, 2, 169–184

Dymond, R. F., Hughes, A. S. & Raabe, V. L. (1952) Measurable changes in empathy with age. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 16, 3, 202–206

Gallagher, M., Davis, J. M. John M. & Tisdall, E. K. M. (2009) Researching with children and young people research design, methods and analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Garley, D., Gallop, R., Johnston, N. & Pipitone, J. (1997) Children of the mentally ill: A qualitative focus group approach. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 4, 2, 97–103

Gibson, J. E. (2012) Interviews and Focus Groups With Children: Methods That Match Children’s Developing Competencies. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 4, 2, 148–159

Gill, O. (1983) Adoption and race: Black, Asian and mixed race children in white families. London : Batsford Academic and Educational in association with British Agencies for Adoption & Fostering

Greenbaum, T. L. (1987) The Practical Handbook and Guide to Focus Group Research. Lexington (Mass.): Lexington Books

Greene, S. & Hill, M. (2005) Researching Children’s Experience: Methods and Methodological Issues. in S. Greene and M. Hogan (Eds) Researching children’s experience method and approaches. London: Sage (pp. 1-19)

Greene, S. & Hogan, D. (2005) Researching children’s experience: Methods and approaches. London: Sage

Heary, C. M. & Hennessy, E. (2002) The Use of Focus Group Interviews in Paediatric Health Care Research. Journal of Paediatric Psychology, 27, 1, 47–57

Hill, M. (1997) Participatory research with children. Child & Family Social Work, 2, 3, 171–183

Hobbs, A. (2012).Young people as Active Citizens: Placing Youth participation structures in the Republic of Ireland under Critical Scrutiny. National University of Ireland, Maynooth: Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences

Hogan, D. & Greene, S. (Eds.) (2005) Exploring Children’s views through focus groups, in Researching Children’s Experience. London : SAGE Publications Ltd

Kitzinger, J. (1995) Introducing focus groups.(Qualitative Research, part 5). British Medical Journal, 311, 7000, 299

Levine, I. S. & Zimmerman, J. D. (1996) Using qualitative data to inform public policy: Evaluating ‘Choose to De-Fuse’. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 66, 3, 363–377

Lewis, A. (1992) Group Child Interviews as a Research Tool. British Educational Research Journal, 18, 4, 413–421

Mathison, S. (2018) Encyclopaedia of Evaluation. [Accessed 20/12/2018 at https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412950558]

Merton, R. E. & Kendall, P. L (1953) The Focused Interview. American Journal of Sociology, 2, 2, 95

Morgan, D. (1993) Quality Control in Focus Group Research. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications

Morgan, D. L. (1997) Focus groups qualitative research. London: Sage

Morrow, V. (2008) Ethical dilemmas in research with children and young people about their social environments. Children’s Geographies.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14733280701791918

Morrow, V. & Richards, M. (1996) The Ethics of Social Research with Children: An Overview. Children & Society, 10, 2, 90–105

O’Kane, C. (2008) The development of participatory techniques: Facilitating children’s views about decisions which affect them.[ Accessed 11/07/2018 at https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203964576] London: Routledge (pp. 125-155)

Punch, S. (2002) Research with Children: The Same or Different from Research with Adults? Childhood: A Global Journal of Child Research, 9, 3, 321–341

Punch, S. (2012) Hidden struggles of fieldwork: Exploring the role and use of field diaries. Emotion, Space and Society, 5, 2, 86–93

Smith, M. W. (1995) Ethics in Focus Groups: A Few Concerns. Qualitative Health Research, 5, 4, 478–486

Stewart, D. & Shamdasani, P. (2007) Group Dynamics and Focus Group Research (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Tolbert, P. S., Graham, M. E. & Andrews, A. O. (1999) Group gender composition and work group relations: Theories, Evidence and Issues. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University ILR Press

Vaughn, S., Schumm, J., & Sinagub, J. (1996) Focus group interviews in education and psychology. London: Sage

Whitehead, H. & Iversen, A., M. I, V. (2007) Child Migration, Child Agency and Inter- generational relations in Africa and South Asia. Norwich: University of East Anglia, School of Development Studies

Downloads

Published

2021-12-03 — Updated on 2022-03-20

How to Cite

Lamba, Y., & Palattiyil, G. (2022). Engaging in group research with migrant children: Innovative data collection method for migrant children in Delhi. Groupwork, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk.v30i1.1519