dc.contributor.advisor | Tisdall, Kay | |
dc.contributor.advisor | Jeffery, Patricia | |
dc.contributor.author | Le Borgne, Carine Hélène Marie-Thérèse | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2017-11-09T14:33:43Z | |
dc.date.available | 2017-11-09T14:33:43Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2016-11-28 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/25508 | |
dc.description.abstract | Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognised children’s human right
to participate in decisions that affect them. Yet, twenty-five years after ratification, children’s
participation remains frequently problematic in practice. This thesis examines the practice of
NGOs that have been implementing children’s participation at the community level for more
than ten years in two specific settings: Tamil Nadu (in south India) and Scotland (UK). The
thesis is an explorative study; it examines the findings through two case studies (one in each
country). Each case study involved observations/informal discussions and semi-structured interviews
with children and staff members from the NGOs. Relevant documents were obtained
and scrutinised.
The analysis of the empirical data uses three concepts: competencies, child-adult relationships
and influence to illuminate and analyse the implementation of children’s participation within
the two case studies. Firstly, the empirical analysis highlights that children within children’s
participation projects acquired knowledge and skills and then applied them in particular situations
within the participation projects (personal and social competencies). Nevertheless, the
two case studies showed that adults’ crucial role in legitimising children’s competencies can
either facilitate or block children’s participation. Secondly, the child-staff/adults’ relationships
were not enough to be considered as the hierarchy within the organisation’s social order was
needed to be analysed to have ‘successful’ participation projects. Thirdly, Lundy (2007) provides
a model for how adults can be more accountable to children and enhance children’s
influence over decision-making in their communities, but some missing elements can undermine
the extent to which children’s views are appropriately acted upon.
Based on a modification of Lundy’s model, this thesis proposes a tripartite collaborative and
intergenerational framework involving the relationships between children and adults in power
facilitated by staff members. The thesis contributes to debates about children’s participation
by arguing that implementing children’s participation requires a relational and contextual focus
on collaboration and intergenerational dialogue. The thesis makes recommendations for
practitioners and decision-makers on how to deploy Lundy’s modified perspective to implement
children’s constructive participation at the local level. | en |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.publisher | The University of Edinburgh | en |
dc.relation.hasversion | Le Borgne, C. (2014) What Next? Ways forward for children’s and young people’s participation’, published by Advocacy and Justice for Children (AJC) on behalf of World Vision International | en |
dc.subject | children’s participation | en |
dc.subject | competencies | en |
dc.subject | child-adult relationships | en |
dc.subject | influence | en |
dc.subject | UNCRC | en |
dc.subject | United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child | en |
dc.title | Implementing children's participation at the community level: the practices of non-governmental organisations | en |
dc.type | Thesis or Dissertation | en |
dc.type.qualificationlevel | Doctoral | en |
dc.type.qualificationname | PhD Doctor of Philosophy | en |