Children's participation and participating children : factors influencing attendance to child societies, and justifications for children's participation in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The aim of the research was to find the justifications for children’s participation used by children and workers at World Vision Finland’s programs in Sri Lanka, the childhood images of the justificationsand thefactors influencing children’s attendance to children’s clubs.

Ten children and ten adults were interviewed in 2015. From the data,14 justifications for participation were found through phenomenographic data analysis. These were divided into four head categories. Data based content analysis resulted in 13 factors influencing children’s attendance. These were divided into six head categories. The theoretical framework for participation justifications and childhood images consisted of participation in development cooperation, children’s participation and conceptualizations on childhood. Participation was mainly justified through benefits for children, society and various topics instead of being a right or a way to gain rights. Adult’s images of children varied from children being vulnerable and of lower status compared to adults to children’s being or becoming equal with adults. Children valued unity, relationships and collaboration with adults, and viewed themselves as competent and usually as equal with adults. Children were commonly portrayed as competent, but the type of competence varied from physically to mentally competent.

Factors influencing children’s attendance to clubs were interpreted using the Personal Investment theory. Involvement was mostly affected By potential extrinsic gains or losses, valuation of the clubs and the social and concreate availability of those. Many of the influencing factors were inter linked. People other than the child had surprisingly strong impact for children’s attendance as well as in justifications for participation.