Quantitative datasets and Children's Geographies: examples and reflections from migration research
Abstract
Introduction In her article in Children's Geographies in 2006, Louise Holt drew our attention to the possibilities of analysing large-scale, secondary quantitative datasets when exploring 'other' childhoods. One of the potential benefits of large-scale quantitative datasets for children's geographers that she highlighted was their potential for revealing spatial inequalities within and between children's lives, and between children's and adults' lives. Holt (2006) suggested that children's geographers may feel that secondary analyses of large-scale quantitative datasets contradict the epistemological underpinnings of their research because these datasets often do not reveal children's own understandings. A quick examination of the methodologies that children's geographers discuss in Children's Geographies , in both 'methods' papers and 'research' papers, seems to confirm this assertion. However, drawing on examples from migration research, in this reflective piece I build upon Holt's (2006) argument that analyses of secondary quantitative datasets do offer potential for exploring aspects of children's lives and allow comparisons at a broad scale. I discuss reasons why children's geographers might choose to engage with secondary quantitative datasets, what they might reveal about children's lives, and why we might choose to liaise with those who produce these data. I highlight some of the approaches to