Development and Postdevelopmentalism in Studies on, to, with, for, by Young Children

This open access book directs its attention to a desire for inter- and transdisciplinary, reciprocal collaborations in studies concerning young children. It focuses on the possibilities and obstacles in collaborative forms of inquiry involving those stakeholders and actors whom the research concerns, specifically the participating children. The backdrop of the discussions and theoretical investigations is the inter- and transdisciplinary project Enhancing Children’s Attention. Within the framework of an evidence-based intervention, this project performed multiple qualitative forms of inquiry, including emergent forms of collaborations with children. The book provides a discussion on how young children’s development, learning, and lives are understood in the developmental sciences, and in the humanities and social sciences. It specifically addresses scholars interested in postdevelopmental, posthumanist, new materialist, and postqualitative approaches. The book proposes a displaced form of postdevelompentalism for future collaborative forms of inquiry with a focus on multiple forms of knowledge and knowing.

Hillevi Lenz Taguchi is PhD in Education, and Professor of Education and Child and Youth Studies, at the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Stockholm University, Sweden. Her main interest has been theoretical and methodological developments as part of Feminist New Materialist, and Post Qualitative approaches. Her current focus is on developing emergent, inter- and transdisciplinary methodologies underpinned by ontological relationality.

Linnea Bodén is PhD in Education, and Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies, at the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Stockholm University, Sweden. Her research integrates theoretical and empirical approaches, often engaging with Posthumanist and Post Qualitative perspectives. Questions on ethics are an ongoing research interest.