The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child grants children the right to participate in matters that concern them, without setting a lower age limit for this participation.
But what kind of participation is possible for children who have not yet developed language – the so-called preverbal children?
Bakkenget’s doctoral research is based on modern developmental psychology, which demonstrates how preverbal children communicate from the very beginning through nonverbal interaction.
– This nonverbal interaction is meaningful, but only for those who take part in it, writes Brynulf Bakkenget to inn.no.
Often, it is the parents, together with the child, who give meaning to the child’s experiences. However, Bakkenget argues that this does not necessarily have to be limited to parents.
– In my research, I have sought to demonstrate that the interaction between parents and children can also be communicated as meaningful to others, thereby enabling genuine user participation for the children.
As part of his work, Bakkenget has conducted extensive video analyses of conversations between midwives and pregnant women, as well as between health nurses and mothers. The aim has been to find the child’s voice through the mothers' conversations with midwives and health nurses.
– The results show that user participation for the youngest children is possible, but not simple. My research has provided enough insight to explore different models for systematically facilitating user participation for preverbal children in practice, concludes Brynulf Bakkenget.
Main findings in the doctoral work:
- The youngest children have a real opportunity for participation, but it requires a different understanding and practice of participation than what is currently in place.
- Mothers' (or caregivers') descriptions of their children provide insight into the child’s experiences.
- Healthcare professionals play a key role in enabling participation for young children, but they must first understand the children through the narratives provided by their mothers (or caregivers).
Contact information:
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