Conference Agenda

Children across the world are growing up in contexts characterised by converging and compounding adversities, including structural poverty, inequality, violence, displacement, ecological stressors, and the ongoing consequences of social and political instability. While research has generated a growing body of evidence on children’s development under conditions of risk, far less attention has been given to the deeper question of what it would mean for societies to become genuinely child conscious. This presentation argues that child well-being research must move beyond documenting vulnerability, toward advancing a normative and policy-relevant agenda grounded in social justice, children’s rights, and child-centred evidence.

Drawing on international scholarship on children’s subjective well-being, including large-scale cross-national studies (Children’s Worlds) and child-centred qualitative research (Children’s Understanding of Well-Being), I propose a framework for a child conscious society that positions children as legitimate social actors and knowledge holders. This approach foregrounds children’s lived experiences and everyday evaluations of their lives, while situating these experiences within the broader ecological and structural conditions that shape opportunity, safety, dignity, and belonging. A social justice lens highlights how inequities are produced and sustained through systems and institutions, and why child well-being must be understood as relational, contextual, and ethically embedded rather than merely individual or developmental.

The presentation further reflects on the implications for early childhood research and professional practice, i.e. how we conceptualise ‘challenging contexts’, how we measure well-being responsibly across diverse settings, and how we ensure that research contributes to meaningful change rather than symbolic inclusion. I conclude by outlining priority pathways for interdisciplinary collaboration, including child-informed indicators, context-sensitive measurement, ethical participation, and policy translation that supports families and communities while holding systems accountable. Ultimately, advancing child well-being in challenging contexts requires not only stronger evidence, but a renewed commitment to building societies that recognise children’s rights, ensure authentic participation, and centre their flourishing as a measure of collective progress.