Intergenerational partnership in research

Several models have been developed to suggest ways of effective and meaningful engagement of children and young people since Hart's early working adapting Arnstein's (1969) foundational ladder of participation for citizen participation to reflect varying degrees of youth (non)participation. Within research, Moore et al. (2016) and Sellars et al. (2020) observed that there is a spectrum of engagement. On the one end is young people affirming and approving decisions made by researchers, or providing light consultation and comments on materials developed. On the other end, young people take responsibility for the research by developing research questions, leading data collection, analysis and dissemination.

Youth-adult research partnerships have been described as a site of co-reflexive activity (Jones et al., 2017; Moore et al., 2016). Careful deliberation is required as to how young people can be engaged in effective, equal and enabling capacities (Cuevas-Parra, 2020). Such engagement unsettles the research process as it invites a critical assessment of the assumptions made in the practice of research, of the contributions that researchers and participants make to the process, and how data are analysed, interpreted and presented. In their rope ladder participation model, Arunkumar et al. (2018) also advocated the importance of having a flexible, responsive approach to address the complex relationships of youth advisory councils and adult-youth partnerships. Recognizing the cultural context of where these models are set, and to account for the young person's everyday life, is vital for successful relationship building. Factors such as the availability of resources, or other commitments in young people's lives, can have a significant influence on the dynamics of their participation. This leads to questions on the kinds of spaces that are being created to foster partnerships between adults and young people within research projects and the self-selecting nature of these councils.

Arunkumar et al. (2018) observe that, while reciprocal adult–youth partnerships in research are idealized and attempted, these are often not achieved in practice, and result in limited decision-making and participation of young people. Levels of involvement do not necessarily translate into feelings of involvement, and differences in power and status can arise which require continuous efforts to address these power imbalances. Facilitating the agency of young people may involve, for example, setting ground rules to create safe spaces, or shifting meeting places to familiar locations where youth feel comfortable, rather than in traditionally adult-led spaces (Hawke et al., 2018; Sellars et al., 2020). Other studies also note the need for flexibility, mentorship, authentic decision-making, clearly defined roles and reciprocal learning, where everyone is both a student and a teacher, and which formally acknowledges the contributions of youth (Cluver et al., 2020; Collins et al., 2020; Heffernan et al., 2017; Richards-Schuster, 2012). These partnerships are intended to create meaningful opportunities for active participation, to embrace inclusion and diversity of identities, perspectives and ideas among young people.

Despite the motivation to encourage more active forms of youth engagement, studies also recognize the potential value of training and support to better facilitate the youth-adult partnership. Depending on the nature of the project, this could involve training on research design, developing research tools and methods, holding meeting briefs and pre-briefs and skill development and mentorship throughout the course of the project (Hawke et al., 2018). As Pavarini et al. (2019) note, the aim is not to make young people ‘experts’ in this area, but rather use training and development to enable meaningful participation and contribution. Equally, (adult) researchers may benefit from training on co-researching and co-production, and how best to engage with children and young people.

The activism literature suggests that much of activism is collective, rather than individual (e.g. Martin, 2007; Taft, 2010), and perhaps even more so for children and young people so that they can act in contexts of intergenerational hierarchies (Cuevas-Parra & Tisdall, 2022). However, the activism literature points out that a host of underpinning activities, relationships and resources are often needed for the more overt activism to take place, which Martin (2007, p. 22) names as ‘an ecology of activism’. This leads to questions about how research—a particular power and claim to generate and share knowledge (Tisdall, 2021)—can support activism: for example, that young activists can develop more effective, targeted actions through the skills they acquired and a deepened knowledge of the issues which they are addressing. This leads to interesting reflections on first, how research can empower and invigorate activism in different contexts, and second, the dynamics and intergenerational relations in this ecology. In consideration of these ideas, based on an engagement over a 2.5-year research process, our paper explores the complexities of adult-youth relationships in research and the role that training and mentorship play in engaging young activists in advisory capacities.

YEG selection process and training

The establishment of the YEGs in Brazil and India followed different processes, primarily due to the local impact of COVID-19. CIESPI in Brazil opted for an online format, while YUVA in India chose to wait for in-person trainings and workshops.

In Brazil, CIESPI began the YEG recruitment process in May 2020 by reaching out to nine young people from the FJSFA. Monthly online meetings were conducted to introduce the Shaping Youth Futures project and discuss the formation of the YEG. In October 2020, the YEG members were selected through a voting process among the young people. The facilitators provided guidance suggesting the inclusion of diversity in terms of gender, age, race and sexual orientation. Five individuals, comprising two males, two females and one transgender person, between the ages of 15 and 26, were elected as YEG members. The selected YEG members also participated as co-researchers, while the remaining four participants from the larger group continued their involvement just as co-researchers within the project.

In India, YUVA implemented a process that involved a 3-day in-person workshop to select YEG members. YUVA invited one representative from each of the 19 youth collectives they had previously collaborated with across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region area to participate. The workshop included young people between the ages of 18 and 24 years from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, including scheduled caste and tribal communities, single-parent and migrant families, as well as representation from upper-caste families. The 3-day workshop covered various topics, such as conceptualizing livelihoods, identity, jobs, inclusive cities, the future of work, research methodologies and policy analysis. The suggested criteria for selecting workshop participants as YEG members included their leadership qualities, active engagement in their collectives, exposure to work or livelihood and their ability to commit to the YEG over an extended period. At the end of the workshop, the young people elected six representatives through a voting process among themselves to form the YEG. One of the nominated representatives later withdrew, resulting in a final YEG group of five members, including three females and two males, aged between 21 and 23.

In both cases, the election of YEG members was finalized without direct involvement from the adult facilitators, and the composition of the YEGs reflected a focus on diversity and representation among the chosen participants.

YEG roles and responsibilities

Following the selection of YEG members in Brazil and India, adult facilitators maintained regular communication and held monthly meetings with their respective YEGs. A WhatsApp group was established in each country to facilitate ongoing work discussions, while emails were utilized for document sharing and setting meeting agendas.

The YEG members collaborated closely with adult facilitators in project-related activities. They contributed to shaping the local scope and focus of the project, provided guidance and advice on youth-led research projects, facilitated training sessions, established and connected with community networks, documented and disseminated findings and actively participated in knowledge exchange events. Topics of the research projects, which were conceptualized and led by the young people themselves, included: Job inclusion for young people in Brazil, education and employment challenges for visually impaired people, challenges which transgender women face, entrepreneurship and its challenges among youth in Dharavi, Mumbai (India), and so on.

In addition to their local engagement, YEG members from both countries participated in cross-country meetings held in April and July 2021. These meetings served as opportunities to discuss, share, learn from each other's experiences and shape future research. Furthermore, an international meeting involving the larger project group, which comprised YEG members, youth co-researchers and adult project team members, took place in November 2021. These meetings were conducted online using the Zoom platform. To facilitate effective communication across multiple languages (Portuguese, Hindi, English, Marathi), predetermined questions were employed to guide the discussions. These questions focused on topics such as barriers to livelihoods and job access, challenges of conducting research during the COVID-19 pandemic, personal growth through YEG participation and experiences of collaborating with adult researchers on the project. The aim was to encourage dialogue and reflection on similarities and differences in experiences rather than simply presenting country-specific updates. Mentimeter, an interactive platform, was utilized to gather real-time responses to questions, which were displayed on the screen for everyone to view and comment on.

The subsequent sections delve into the dynamics between adults and youth in youth activism and participatory social research, as well as the experiences of navigating the project amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

YEGs: Shaped by the youth activists

The research advisory process within this project was dynamic, involving ongoing discussions and negotiations among the adult facilitators and young people, as well as among the young people themselves. The young people brought their values, experiences in youth activism, political awareness and commitment to equity into the research project, shaping the spaces, interactions and dynamics among different participants. This resulted in a personalized and co-created research space.

The young people involved in the project identified themselves as activists challenging adult-centric norms in society. This awareness prompted the adult facilitators to be critically reflective and mindful throughout the project. While the project initially had an adult-led initiation and scaffolding, efforts were made to make the process more inclusive by sharing decision-making with the young people and occasionally stepping back. The YEG members in Brazil and India actively engaged in the project planning process, providing recommendations and adjustments to make the language more gender-neutral, youth-friendly and accessible.

As the project progressed, the roles of the young people in India and Brazil differed. In India, the YEG members worked alongside adult facilitators during the in-person City Caravan training, taking on leadership roles, leading activities, coordinating discussions, gathering feedback and mentoring designated City Caravan participants. They served as a bridge between the participants and the adult facilitators, emphasizing respectful listening, accepting differences and active participation to foster mutual respect.

In Brazil, the distinction between YEG members and City Caravan participants was less clear. The YEG in Brazil preferred working together as a larger group, making decisions collectively and organizing responsibilities among themselves. They aimed to maintain an inclusive and open discussion format, with more autonomy in research co-production with adults. The project team respected their choice and adapted the YEG structure accordingly. Leadership roles emerged organically within the group, with the most involved young person taking on significant leadership responsibilities, despite not being originally elected as a YEG member. Furthermore, the young people recognized their varying levels of experience in youth activism and formed pairs or trios consisting of both more and less experienced individuals. Those with more experience supported and created space for those with less experience to participate.

Overall, the research YEG process was shaped by the values, experiences and aspirations of the young people involved, allowing for a particularized and collective approach to the project. We also learnt through YEG surveys that participating in the project as a YEG member enabled the young people to think more about activism, both in their own local and international contexts. Some instances are highlighted below:

These examples suggest the fluidity in roles and responsibilities is informed by young people's experiences with activism. This was further evident in the relationships between young people and the adult facilitators.

Reflexivity in intergenerational research partnerships

Intergenerational dynamics in the co-production of research with young people is gaining increasing attention internationally (Cuba & Rizzini, 2019). However, as we discovered through our project, intergenerational dynamics intersect not only with age and generation, but also with understandings and exercise of power.

In this paper, the terms ‘YEG members’, ‘adult facilitators’ and ‘youth participants’ have been used for convenience, but, the distinction between ‘adult’ and ‘youth’ is not always clear-cut. Some of the adult facilitators were only a few years older than the YEG members and participants, blurring the line between age groups and power dynamics. However, the concept of intergenerationality remains relevant due to the age difference and the presence of ageism as a challenge faced by young people in their livelihoods.

The labels used in the project, such as ‘adult facilitators’ and ‘young people’, structured the relationships and dynamics among participants. While some facilitators were close in age to the participants, there was still a significant generational gap. Ageism was acknowledged as an important issue that young people actively addressed in their activism. It was necessary for everyone involved to be sensitive, mindful and critically reflective of their positions to ensure a safe and inclusive research space. Reflecting on these dynamics from an intergenerational perspective is therefore deemed relevant.

In both India and Brazil, adults played a guiding role in the project's development, encouraging young people to contribute while also fulfilling managerial responsibilities to meet external deadlines and ethical protocols. Balancing transparency and co-creation with the need to meet project objectives could be challenging. Adult facilitators had to consider how to gently remind young people of project commitments and deadlines without intervening too much. In Brazil, the adult facilitators took on increased responsibilities to support the young people, particularly in formal submissions in English. They found that presenting proposals initially drafted by adults and incorporating the opinions of young people was the most efficient approach.

In India, YUVA emphasized co-creation, transparency and shared learning to build trust and relationships. The adult facilitators reinforced that the City Caravan was a joint venture and created opportunities for young people to voice their ideas and feel heard. Adult facilitators participated in icebreaker activities led by the YEG members, further fostering transparency and inclusiveness by sharing their own life stories. While adult facilitators aimed to establish a comfortable relationship with the YEG, they were mindful of maintaining a slight distance to fulfil their managerial role in meeting deadlines and maintaining timelines. They consciously navigated boundaries and distance to strike the right balance.

The complexities of intergenerational dynamics in the project were evident, with adult facilitators guiding and supporting young people while being aware of their own positions of power and the need to create an inclusive and respectful research environment.

From, the young people's perspective, the adults' facilitation role included and extended beyond creating space for young people to be heard. When asked how adults can better support young people in youth activism, YEG members in Brazil stated that adults should accept and take into account young people's opinions and experiences and create spaces for working together. A Brazil YEG member suggested:

The YEG members in India reflected in their feedback at the end of the project that their wide-ranging responsibilities as YEG members helped them build confidence and develop personally. However, there were moments when they felt the need to work harder to be recognized as mentors or advisors by their peers. They acknowledged the importance of adult facilitators in these cases, as they could turn to them for knowledge and validation, allowing them to provide appropriate guidance. The adult facilitators also reminded the young people that, as YEG members, they had their own wealth of experiences, resources and networks to offer to the City Caravan participants.

Throughout the project, the negotiation of roles and relationships between the YEG and adult facilitators led to reflections on how adults can better support young people's capacities and leadership and facilitate research projects in collaboration with young people. The experiences of young people with adult-centrism shaped the nature of youth engagement in the project, prompting ongoing reflection on effective and equitable engagement and partnership. The adult facilitators had to navigate when to take a more active role and when to step back. It was acknowledged that this balancing act is a gradual process that varies in different contexts and comes with many considerations and challenges (Jamieson et al., 2022). Wyness (2013) also notes that the use of intergenerational methodologies does not necessarily equate to a reduction in power imbalances and that such collaborations should be approached mindfully.

Aligned with Martin's attention to the ‘ecology of activism’, the adult facilitators in this project supported young activists by providing theoretical and analytical tools, as well as spaces for discussion and action. The training and workshops encouraged critical reflection on the structural and intersectional inequalities affecting young people's livelihoods. The YEG members also gained mentoring and leadership opportunities with the guidance of adult facilitators. The collaboration between research and activism was seen as a two-way process, where both youth activists and adult facilitators gained knowledge and insights from the collaborative experiences. The project emphasized co-creation, transparency and shared learning as foundational principles.

In summary, the collaboration between YEG members and adult facilitators involved ongoing reflection, mutual learning and support for young people's capacities and leadership through a ‘two-way intergenerational collaboration’ (Cuevas-Parra & Tisdall, 2022). The project recognized the value of young people's role in knowledge generation and emphasized the importance of equitable and meaningful engagement between generations.

Engaging youth activists at times of crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to the YEG members' participation in the project. As happened across many other contexts, the pandemic necessitated adjustments to the training and project activities. The shift to online platforms required adaptation and understanding of the young people's circumstances and the limitations they faced. In Brazil, the pandemic brought about changes in young people's daily lives, including transitioning to online classes and supporting their families in different ways. The health impacts of the pandemic, both physical and emotional, also affected their ability to engage fully in project activities. As highlighted by one of the YEG members:

To accommodate the new circumstances, the entire project had to be adapted for online implementation. CIESPI, the Brazilian research team, made methodological adjustments to conduct meetings, monitor field research and carry out interviews and focus groups while adhering to social distancing protocols in Brazil. However, not all YEG members had access to the internet or the necessary technology, leading to absences and instability during meetings. This also posed challenges in conducting interviews and involving young people in focus groups. Many young people relied on smartphones to join online activities, which made it difficult to stay focused during long virtual meetings. As a result, adult facilitators and the young people mutually decided to shorten the meetings to improve engagement and manageability.

Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced various obstacles that required flexibility and creative solutions to ensure the continuation of the project and the meaningful participation of the YEG members. As summarized by a YEG member from Brazil:

In India, similar to Brazil, young people had to adapt to new forms of learning and working during the pandemic. They faced challenges attending to family members who were ill and organizing community support initiatives like food kitchens. While CIESPI adapted their project to an online format, YUVA chose to wait until it was feasible to continue with in-person activities based on local health guidance. This decision was influenced by the importance of in-person training for building relationships and creating a sense of community, especially since the young people were unfamiliar with each other and came from different parts of the city. Additionally, some members lacked access to Wi-Fi or smartphones, making online communication inaccessible for everyone.

Deciding to delay the process (by almost 10 months), the YUVA team adhered to local health guidelines for safety protocols. The move to in-person activities also raised ethical concerns at an institutional level that needed negotiation (Powell et al., 2023). The balance of participation and protection rights, as well as research ethics is inevitably difficult in crises and disasters, yet research points to the value that participation can add for young people at these times (Collins et al., 2020; Cuevas-Parra, 2020). In research conducted by Cuevas-Parra (2020), for example, children and young people in seven countries felt that engaging in projects helped them to cope with the isolation during lockdown and improve their self-esteem. Similar observations were made through our project between both partners.

The challenges of working through the global pandemic on a cross-country project, needed adaptability on many levels, from the adult researchers to the YEG. Our experience here reflects on how we adapted a project conceptualized pre-COVID to one that was hybrid.