Understanding „Children on the Street‟ in the Context of Non-Western Settings through the Lens of Savolainen‟s Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS) Theory

Abstract

“Children on the street” encountered everyday challenges and decision situations. Although extant studies have explored children on the street intending to understand better their situations, very little study exists that discusses “children on the street” in the context of nonwestern settings. This study explored the everyday life information-seeking behaviour of “children on the street” in a nonwestern context. The study identified the challenges encountered by “children on the street” and the sources and channels of information they consult in response to their everyday life challenges. A qualitative case study was adopted for the study. 15 participants were interviewed. The study findings indicated that children on the street experienced challenges related to the following: lack of parental care, ill-health, hunger, and emotional stress. The study also uncovered children on the street consulted the following sources of information in response to the challenges: interpersonal/informal sources of information, close/strong ties, and the use of cell phones to overcome their daily challenges. The study then recommended further qualitative studies to identify information-seeking behaviours of the caregivers of “children on the street” in nonwestern settings.