The Methodological Inclusion: How Can We Get the Rapport with a Child and Gain Rich Data

The paper examines the modern project of childhood developed within the framework of the new sociology of childhood, forms a methodological framework for rules, techniques, and ethics in the empirical research methods of interviewing children. Recognition of the plurality of childhood in the global world, on the one hand, gives rise to many unique practices in field work, on the other hand, creating the ground for the development of common ethical and methodological approaches and principles. Approaches to the understanding of childhood described in theoretical works influenced the development of the method. The analysis of the method is based on the principles of the new sociology of childhood: equal communication, agency of children, involvement in decision-making concerning the lives of children. A definition of methodological inclusion is given as a mechanism for adapting a method to the characteristics of a social group. The following aspects of the children’ interviewing are identified and described: in-depth study of the interview script, taking into account the characteristics of age and the inclusion of elements of gamification and projective techniques as stimulus in the interview script, selection of the best interview venue, selection of interviewers and more thorough briefing due to their age, dynamic interviewing with switching activities, flexibility in conducting interviews in accordance with the individual characteristics and development of the child, contact with a parent or other responsible person before, (during) and after the interview,post-field relations, data analysis and the world of childhood representation in scientific articles and political documents. The examples are coming from author's different research with children 7-9 years old.