Deconstructing adults’ and children's discourse on children's play: listening to children's voices to destabilise deficit narratives

Abstract

This study used discourse analysis to compare the language adults use to discuss contemporary children's play and children's narratives of their own play experiences. Adult discourse was analysed to determine whether they positioned children through deficit or strength and the attributions of responsibility embedded within their language choices (e.g. assuming responsibility is with the child, family or society). Interviews were completed with 98 children (3–17) living in the USA and interviews and surveys were completed with 135 adults (18–88) from 21 different countries. Children emphasise interconnection with others, being outdoors and using open-ended toys to imagine and explore when discussing their play with little mention of technology. A majority of adults (78%) used deficit discourse and few used strengths-based language to discuss children's play (21%). Adult discourse differed significantly from children's descriptions of their own play. Findings suggest the importance of including children's perspectives in research on children's play.