Ecological engagement in research on trajectories of adolescent life in situations of social vulnerability: Identifying risk and protective factors

This chapter describes how the Ecological Engagement approach was applied in a dissertation project on life trajectories of adolescents with and without experience of street life. Three studies were conducted using Bronfenbrenner’s theory as their theoretical and methodological foundation. The chapter describes the rationale for selecting Ecological Engagement as an orienting framework, in particular the need for coherence between methodological and theoretical approaches; the quality of data and findings; the emphasis placed on researcher-participant interactions and the conceptualization of research as an opportunity for intervention; and the ability to reconcile quantitative and qualitative approaches. Practical aspects of data collection are described, starting with stages preceding data collection and moving through the data collection process and departure from the field. Considerable attention is devoted to the fundamental role of Ecological Engagement in designing and refining the data collection process, given the closeness of the investigator to the research context and to theoretical, methodological, and ethical considerations. Lastly, two primary challenges are discussed: the large investment of time and energy required by the Ecological Engagement approach, and the difficulty of operationalizing the four domains of analysis proposed in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory (process, person, context, and time-PPCT).