Theorising Childhood & Adolescence

The module will begin by an analysis of the constitution of modern childhood drawing on literature from both sociological and psychological disciplines. Students will be encouraged to critique the universality of children’s experiences by examining a range of variables including class, gender, disability, and ethnicity. Underlying assumptions and perceptions about children, children’s rights and optimal childhoods will be critically explored and applied to children’s services.

The aim is for students to consider and develop more empowering practice in their interventions with children.

Students will engage in debates around several key issues including:

• Historical/social construction of childhood.
• Shared experiences and culturally diverse childhoods.
• Critical analysis of child development.
• Critical analysis of educational provision.
• Exploration of the class, social and medical models of disability, race and ethnicity and the gendered nature of childhood.
• Critical exploration of children’s rights, participation and citizenship.
• Critical examination of prevailing understandings of adolescence compared with lived realities of the lives of young people.

20 Credit Module at Level 7

On successful completion of this module a student will be able to:

• Critically analyse dominant theories of children and childhood demonstrating how different conceptions of childhood are expressed in policy and/or practice.
• Critically evaluate conceptions of children’s rights and children/young people’s participation in policy and/or practice designed for them.
• Critically analyse a policy, practice or service for children/young people in terms of its capacity to address commonality and difference between groups of children and young people.
• Show advanced academic skills in locating and critiquing relevant resources.