Dr Chae-Young Kim

Dr Kim began her career working for UNICEF in South Korea before obtaining a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Since then, she has taught and researched at several UK universities including King’s College London, Brunel University London, Birkbeck College London and the Open University.

Research interests

Her core research interests are in how poverty and inequality influence children’s life chances and their educational and other social outcomes. Her research topics, so far, have included children’s perceptions of inequality and their sense of their agency concerning their occupational ‘choices’, the methodological issues concerning children’s participation in research (especially those relating to children acting as primary researchers), and the relationship between child labour and national and international education policy.

Dr Kim's current research project, which explores the perceptions of inequality of English secondary school children from different socioeconomic backgrounds and their sense of agency, has been awarded funding from the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants scheme.

Selected publications

• Hammersley, M. & Kim, C.-Y. (2021) Child-led research, children’s rights and childhood studies: A reply to Thomas, Childhood, 28(2): 200-202.
• Kim, C.-Y. & Gewirtz, S. (2020) Socioeconomic inequality and adjustments in children’s perceptions of their agency as they age in South Korea, Children & Society, 34(5): 371-391.
• Kim, C.-Y. & Gewirtz, S. (2019) ‘It’s not something I can change…’: children’s perceptions of inequality and their agency in relation to their occupational choices, Child Indicators Research, 12(6): 2013-2034.
• Kim, C.-Y. & Montgomery, H. (2018) ‘Rural children’s work and school education in the context of rapid economic growth in South Korea’, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 38(1/2): 165-178.
• Kim, C.-Y. (2017) ‘Participation or pedagogy? Ambiguities and tensions surrounding the facilitation of children as researchers’, Childhood, 24(1): 84-98.
• Kim, C.-Y., Sheehy, K. & Kerawalla, L. (2017) Developing Children as Researchers: A practical guide to help children conduct social research. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
• Kim, C.-Y. (2016) ‘Why research by children? Rethinking the assumptions underlying the facilitation of children as researchers’, Children & Society, 30(3): 230-240.
• Kim, C.-Y. (2011) ‘Child labour, education policy and governance in Cambodia’, International Journal of Educational Development, 31(5): 496-504.
• Kim, C.-Y. (2011) ‘Children’s work and the life skills education policy in Cambodia’, Journal of International Development, 23(2): 262-273.
• Kim, C.-Y. & Rouse, M. (2011) ‘Reviewing the role of teachers in achieving ‘Education for All’ in Cambodia’, Prospects, 41(3): 415-428.
• Kim, C.-Y. (2009) ‘Is combining child labour and school education the right approach? Investigating the Cambodian case’, International Journal of Educational Development, 29(1): 30-38.