Abstract
There have been calls for tools that amplify child perspectives and counteract adult-centric and bio-medical norms in care contexts. To contribute to such development, our paper investigates the experiences of 11 care professionals who tested a digital support tool to facilitate child participation in paediatric and social care. Professionals’ narratives of the tool’s effects on their meetings with children were analysed from a socio-technical perspective. We found that different aspects of the tool’s design and materiality were perceived to improve the participatory conditions for some children. In these cases, professionals described how a redistribution of control also affected the meeting dynamics, and how guardians and professionals were involved in conversations. Based on their experiences, professionals could identify shortcomings in current approaches and practices. They expressed an increased openness to new tools and proposed ideas for alternative ways of working. We discuss what properties of the tool were perceived to facilitate instant participation, and what implications such experiences may have for norm transformation in care contexts over time. This paper will help designers aiming to nudge participatory formats for children in care contexts.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Cultures of Transformative Design
KEYWORDS
Children, Participation, Care, Norm Critique, Transformative Design
