Procedural ethics often proves insufficient for research involving children in vulnerable positions, risking superficial engagement and extractivist practices, and neglecting participant dignity. The article moves beyond compliance, presenting a framework that integrates Kantian deontology and Honneth’s recognition theory to ground ethical practice in moral duty and mutual recognition. Synthesising researcher positionality, Kant’s categorical imperative, Honneth’s practical dimensions of recognition (care, rights, solidarity), and ongoing reflexivity, the article offers a relational approach to navigate fieldwork complexities. The findings emphasise shifting from proceduralism towards participatory methods that foster participant dignity, agency, and solidarity, providing guidance for respectful, transformative ethical decision-making.
Sarah Blessed-Sayah (Tue,) studied this question.