Childhood

The public image of street children has acted as a barrier to success in both research into their lives and programmes intended for their welfare. On the basis of a review of papers written for a workshop organized to set a new research agenda for street children, it is argued that the emphasis should shift away from attempts to define street children towards analysis of their relationship with street environments. It is suggested that this entails more innovative and ethical research methods, based in participation and action-oriented research as well as being derived from social science theories.

To advance work with street children, realistic and effective programs must be based on prior research. Traditional research methods are not applicable to investigations with street children, thus this article presents a new paradigm introducing the concept of `street researchers'. The street researcher is redefined and examined within the context of the street child's world. Issues such as the transformed role of the researcher, countertransference, new conceptualizations of time and space, testing behaviors, value-based research, and the integration of ethnography are discussed. It is recommended that street researchers also assume broader responsibilities as research/social change agents.

Youth work is a principal strategy for responding to children and young people on the streets in many countries. Young work praxis has many forms worldwide and it is necessary to accept this and not urge a single model. A definition of youth work as a family of practices gives legitimacy to this variety. It is argued that the multiple sources for the philosophy behind youth work should be acknowledged along with their ethical implications. Youth work includes the reciprocal development of youth and community as well as being a vocation.

Comparative study of street children in three Latin American cities has led to a synergism between theory and method. Although the basic approach adopted is symbolic interactionism, a diversity of theories informs a variety of methods. Thus triangulation of methods allows a high degree of reliability in qualitative research that aims to explore children's own perspectives.

The article presents a description and critique of a large range of anthropological methods used in research with children in Nepal. It highlights the importance of a comparative, multidisciplinary and emic perspective. The value of empirical biological research methods, their potential for triangulation with social methods and validity for policy and programming are discussed. Data collected on physical and psychological well-being of children facilitate a comparison of homeless street children with other rural and urban control groups. The nature of researcher-informant relationships is crucial to the quality of information gleaned from traditional methods of demographic survey and observation.

The public image of street children takes little account of root causes of the problem or their own perceptions of the realities of their lives. Their relationship to urban life is seldom analysed and it is rare to see street girls mentioned without a link being made between their lives on the street and prostitution. A plea is made for a more child-centred, participatory approach to research with street children and some recent examples of this kind of work are discussed.

The objective of this study was to examine the reality of implementing child participation in research in Ethiopia. Research methods such as observation, interviewing, focus group discussions, questionnaires, checklists, matrices and review of related literature were used with children, professional psychologists and participants of a capacity-building programme on child-centred, participatory research. Results indicate that the newly introduced research methods are found to be useful with children. Results of a matrix exercise indicate that these methods are participatory, innovative, fun, suitable for children and easy to manage. Constraints identified by the trainees included: finance, time and the way these methods raise expectations.

In general terms, this article presents a profile of the so-called `street children' of Latin America, outlining their main characteristics, their interpersonal relations and their daily life in the streets. Based on an extensive bibliography, it was possible to touch on various aspects of their experiences of life, very different from the experiences which are typical of a childhood within the confines of family and school. The compilation of the available data proved to be extremely rich as a source of information requiring further study. The various documents consulted revealed a great similarity in the conditions in which these children and adolescents live in different countries, particularly in the urban areas, and facilitate analysis at both regional and global levels.

Children in Montevideo were studied in a number of different domains, including the street. These children were not fully integrated into street life and were largely based in welfare programmes. The differences in use of the street between children who worked and children who did not work were noted. The formation of an identity of street child was found to be a complex process resulting from children's relationships to and use of other domains.

This article concentrates on unaccompained street children and offers a contribution to the understanding of processes in the careers of street children. The article is based on field research in Sri Lanka. The main methods for collecting data were network interviews, life career interviews and participant observation. The findings demonstrate that care no longer supplied by the family is replaced within street children groups. The data reveal a psychological process from self-identity as children who live at home, to identification as street children. It is recommended that social work with some of these children should include work with street children in groups.

Research with young domestic workers in Dakar was carried out by ENDA in association with the ILO, UNICEF and the Senegalese government as part of a wider process of research and action undertaken to improve the situation of child and youth workers in a number of African cities. The approach emphasizes the importance of listening to individuals and groups before undertaking action. This article presents the results of data collected as well as the responses to these data in terms of research and action subsequently undertaken or planned.

This article discusses the perceived root causes of the street children phenomenon. It is emphasized that it is an indication of uneven development and unequal social order that impacts socioeconomic, political and cultural spheres, with direct effects on families and children. Poverty represents a glaring indicator of both the helplessness and powerlessness of these children and their families and the inability of developing nations to meet the basic needs of their people.