Some children have also drawn or written about their parents' jobs and about their families. We are trying to get children's perspectives on daily lives and to map the contexts they negotiate. This team research is headed by Rivka Polatnick and Elaine Bell Kaplan who are gathering information from middle school students and their parents, which is supplemented by interviews with staff, after-school staff, focus group discussions, and participant observation in school and family settings. Her research highlights the children's perspectives and their active participation in negotiating care arrangements. Elaine Bell Kaplan examines ways in which young teenagers in dual earner families contribute to their families' cultures of care.
Special attention is given to variations by race, ethnicity, and class.
Elaine is especially interested in examining teenagers' and parents' use of food as a metaphor to address broad social issues such as work and family. The importance of building trust and creating an ease and establishing an informal atmosphere is key. Sometimes we suggest they pick a pseudonym, which conveys our respect for their secrets. Children are bearers of family secrets, which causes anxiety for parents and for kids. Informal conversations, through fieldwork, are a rich source of information and insights, both on and about children.