Going Spatial, Going Relational: Why “listening to children” and children's participation needs reframing

Abstract

This article explores the consequences of the view that the identifications of children and adults and the spaces they inhabit are intimately related. Firstly, the article reviews the rationales that suggest we should consult with children and young people and encourage their participation. Arguments are made, using examples, to support the view that policy and practice and research on children's participation are better framed as being fundamentally about child–adult relations. Secondly, the emerging field would benefit from becoming more sensitive to how place and space are implicated in identity formation.