The study
In light of the need for more empirical and socio-culturally grounded studies on children’s agency, we set out to explore how children exert it within the different social structures in which their lives are embedded, which can give a rise to, shape, or constrain their agency (Samman & Santor, 2009). Our study was informed by socio-ecological theories, in order to take into account micro-, as well as miso- and macro-, factors within children’s living environment (Johnson & West, 2018).
Hence, in the present work we investigate both the many intersecting factors - such as family, community, society, and environment - that might shape children’s ‘opportunities for agency,’ as well as the everyday strategies that participant’s display in order to maintain a positive functioning and well-being despite their highly challenging contexts. Thus, this paper aims at contributing to the ongoing discussion about the role of agency for children’s well-being (Edmonds, 2019; Stecknermeier, 2019). The research was conducted in conformity with APA ethical guidelines concerning child protection (APA, 2013) and approved by the Milano-Bicocca Institutional Review Board (N.368).