ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines and discusses some of the key ideas and principles underpinning the rationale for doing research with young children. It emphasises the importance of giving young children the opportunity to express their meanings and perspectives in research and practice. Young children’s perspectives are an essential consideration for democratic representation of all citizens in a society. Childhood and children are considered as worthy of investigation in their own right, separate from their parents or caregivers. Children’s exercise of agency can best be understood in relation to the social, cultural and political contexts in which it occurs, and in connection with adult agency. Seeking meaning is a central aim and objective of all research and, from a developmental perspective, meaning-making is an important part of understanding how children make sense of the world and construct meaning. Meaning-making is typically associated with cognitive and social processes, involving the use of symbol systems.
