Participation and Democratization in Youth Research—To What Extent? Critical Reflections on Current Pathways in Qualitative Youth Research

To what extent is it possible to nurture the participation of young people in a methodological setup developed by adults? The chapter revolves around the ambition to approach young informants without normativity, assessments, and adultocentrism. The researchers have developed a qualitative mixed-method methodology based on three phases; (a) researcher-initiated workshops, (b) follow-up focus-group interviews, and (c) walk-and-talks in the young people’s environments. The chapter discusses the strengths and challenges of this methodological approach in a Danish study on 8th graders’ time and activity priorities during leisure time, and how these priorities are employed when young people define and construct their sense of youth, normality, and belonging. Many paradoxes surfaced in this project, and the article serves as a platform for self-critique and as a contribution to the ongoing discussion of participatory methods, power relations, and adultocentrism in youth research.