Becoming Longitudinal: Methodological Reflections, Conceptual Adjustments, and Social Media in Researching Young People and Migration Over Time
Dr. Roy Huijsmans (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Longitudinally designed research may be relatively rare in the global south. Yet, it is not uncommon that qualitative research becomes longitudinal over time; often more by chance than design. Drawing on research about young people and migration in the context of rural Laos, this talk illustrates concretely what ‘becoming longitudinal’ means in a rapidly changing context and in relation to the interplay between being young/growing up in the context of migration. In this, I highlight the role of social media and mobile phones which emerged as an important additional tool and context of the research. Furthermore, the importance of the social media dimension in researching young people and migration calls for reflection on how qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) is realized through the interplay between digital ‘following’ and in-person ‘follow-up research’, including the practical and ethical issues this raises.
Roy Huijsmans' research is concerned with how children and young people are affected by and contribute to societal development and change. To explore this, he has studied young people’s role in migration, their engagement with schooling and (un)paid work, the role of mobile technologies in young people’s lives, popular culture and dance, young adults’ involvement in the gig economy, and young people’s engagement with the future through the concept of aspiration.
In his research, he privileges the perspectives and experiences of children and youth and, on this basis, speaks back to dominant ideas underpinning policy and practice. Much of his research takes an ethnographic approach and is primarily conducted in Southeast Asia (especially Laos) and Europe (especially the Netherlands). His work has been published in leading journals in Development Studies, Human Geography, and Childhood & Youth Studies, as well as in various books.
Date:
16 April 2026
16:00 (CEST)
Venue:
Seminarraum 3.03
Global South Studies Center (GSSC)
Classen-Kappelmann-Straße 24, 50931 Köln