Animated Vignettes and Child/Adolescent Perspectives in the Global South

Deborah Levison , University of Minnesota
Anna Bolgrien, University of Minnesota

In an effort to expand adult understandings of the perspectives of young people (ages 12-17) about their own lives, we use a mixed method approach to develop a low-risk survey research tool. We argue that animated vignettes with recorded voiceovers heard through headphones, followed by questions referencing the vignettes rather than the young respondent’s own life, reduce the risk that nearby adults will disagree with and punish children. Analysis of follow-up interviews and focus groups help us interpret and validate the quantitative results. We report on exploratory research in Sierra Leone (2017) and two pilots in rural and urban Tanzania (July and December 2018). Finding a way to learn about children’s perspectives on a large scale will help to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Moreover, we expect that better understanding children’s perspectives can help demographers understand the demographic behavior of young people.

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 Presented in Session 252. Mixed Methods