Multiplicities in research with young people: bridging participatory traditions and new materialism via two case studies

In this paper, we explore the possibilities of multiplicity in qualitative psychology by staging a critical conversation between a new materialist Baradian approach and two research case studies. Our cases are separated by hemisphere, language and theoretical frameworks, but share a commitment to collaborative, critical knowledge production with young people. Case One explored minoritised young people’s views on mental health interventions targeting young people in Finland through peer-led focus groups. This work experimented with a multilogue approach, which works as a bridge between new materialist perspectives and concrete methodological goals of embracing multiple and marginalised perspectives. Case Two focussed on building a collaborative and multifaceted understanding of well-being for differently positioned young people in Aotearoa (New Zealand). This case is drawn from a wider project chiefly grounded in participatory approaches and Kaupapa Māori theory. Using the case examples, we experiment with a Baradian diffractive cross-reading, drawing insights from both cases to see how multiplicities are evident within and across them. We show how both projects and perspectives have potential to multiply available/prevailing perspectives and disrupt binaries such as “researcher” and “researched”. In this paper, we explore the possibilities of multiplicity in qualitative psychology by staging a critical conversation between two research case studies. Case One explored minoritised young people’s views on mental health interventions targeting young people in Finland through peer-led focus groups. Case Two focussed on building a collaborative and multifaceted understanding of well-being for differently positioned young people in Aotearoa (New Zealand). We experiment with a Baradian, diffractive cross-reading to see how multiplicities are evident within and across the cases. We show how both projects have potential to multiply available/prevailing perspectives and disrupt binaries such as “researcher” and “researched”.