Young people’s involvement in migration research – opportunities for (re)shaping research priorities and practices
by Grace Spencer, Jill Thompson, Fanny Froehlich, Divine Asafo, Michael Tetteh Doku, George Asiamah, Jemima Mornuu, Amidatu Kassim, Stephen Owusu Kwankye and Ernestina Dankyi
- Date
- 02 Nov 2023
- Publisher
- Journal of the British Academy
- Digital Object Identifier
- https://doi.org/10.5871/jba/011s3.043
- Number of pages
- 26
Pages in this section
Abstract: Young people are frequently involved in research about their own lives and their contributions to the shaping of research priorities increasingly valued. Recently, young people’s participation in research has been extended to advisory group roles including supporting the planning, design and delivery of projects. Such involvement marks an important shift towards valuing young people’s views on how research should be conducted and is often required as part of research funding processes. In this article, we explore the value and contribution of young people’s involvement in a research project focusing on the livelihoods of young migrants in Ghana and the related possibilities for empowerment. Our collaborations remind us of the pitfalls of working from an adult centric lens, and how this may inadvertently contribute to the reproduction of adult ways of understanding young lives. Here, our project Young Person Advisory Group members share their experiences of being youth advisors – highlighting both challenges and opportunities for young people’s meaningful involvement in research.
Keywords: young people, participation, Young Person Advisory Group, empowerment, migrants, youth advisors
Article posted to the Journal of the British Academy, volume 11, supplementary issue 3 (Being and Becoming: Uncertain Youth Futures)