Barns röst och delaktighet i kommunalpolitiken
ChildYouthParticipationUN Convention on the Rights of the ChildImplementationLocal decision-makingBarnUngdomFN:s BarnkonventionImplementeringDeltagandeKommunal beslutsprocess
A qualitative study is presented concerning children?s participation in the local decisionmaking in Swedish municipalities. The study also aims at finding out what are considered to be successful factors and obstacles connected to the implementation of children?s participation in local decision-making. The study contains a summary of the convention on the rights of the child, focusing on article 12, as well as previous research findings concerning children?s participation and factors enabling respectively hindering participation. Method has been interviews with a purposive sample of politicians, civil employees and children from municipalities regarded as prominent in their work with children?s participation. Either through a formal or informal implementation model. The results have been analysed in the light of Roger Hart?s eight-step ?ladder of children?s participation?, where position one is considered Manipulation from adults and position eight is Child-initiated and shared decisions with adults. The results show that the investigated municipalities are considering the voice of the children in the local decision-making. Depending on different variables in focus, the position on Hart?s ladder varies between four and seven. The study concludes that successful implementation of children?s participation in local decision-making commands parallel work with organizational structures, systematic and adult?s attitudes.