Agency operating within structures: a qualitative exploration of agency
amongst children living in Palestine
Abstract
Over the last two decades the concept of agency has played a pivotal
role in childhood studies, bringing a radical shift into the old views
of children and childhood development. However, little agreement has
been reached on what exactly agency means, how it should be measured,
especially amongst children affected by military violence and
oppression. Based on drawings and walk-along interviews with 70 children
from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the present study provides an
analysis of children’s agency across the multiple settings in which they
live. Our findings highlight the dynamic interconnections between the
children’s agentic practices (the employment of social capital;
challenging movement restrictions; receiving an education;
personal strategies; reclaiming play-areas; meaning-making process and
political agency) and the multiple ecologies implied in promoting - or
suppressing - their opportunity to act and cope with their surroundings.
Our research challenges the dominant picture of children exposed to
political violence as helpless victim, portraying them as active agents
who mobilize resources both within themselves and throughout their
social, physical, and political world. The study suggests implications
for practices when designing intervention for children in contexts of
chronic political violence.