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2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

EDUC1205 What is a Child: Social Construction of Childhood

20 creditsClass Size: 70

Module manager: Dr Anne Luke
Email: A.C.Luke@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module provides you with an introduction to sociological and anthropological theories of childhood, including historical dimensions and cross cultural perspectives. Key theories which have been influential will be described and evaluated. The teaching will involve lectures, seminars and a fieldtrip.

Objectives

It aims to:
- Introduce the concept of 'what is a child', drawing upon sociological and anthropological perspectives
- Examine the emergence of the 'Sociology of Childhood' as a theoretical discipline
- Examine the concept of childhood as a social construction
- Introduce historical and cross cultural perspectives of childhood and youth and recent academic enquiry related to generational relations and life course
- Introduce methodological developments in research with children and young people

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Draw on a range of theoretical perspectives and empirical studies from within the fields of sociology, education, and anthropology order to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of basic concepts, paradigms, practices related to childhood and youth.
- Demonstrate the ability to interpret and evaluate the basic concepts, principles and values which are characteristic of study of childhood and youth
- Present a structured and coherent argument related to the social construction of childhood and youth.


Syllabus

(Italics outline indicative content.)

Week 1: Introduction to the module
What is a child? Sociological and anthropological perspectives and concerns with the child in social theory.
The paradigm shifts and the emergence of the Sociology of Childhood (James and Prout 1992/7).
The child as a psychological, biological, social and cultural being. Universal vs. culturally specific notions of childhood.
The analytical distinction between Children and Childhood and what it means for our approach and analysis.

Week 2: Childhood as a social construction.
What it includes and what it leaves out. Introducing the central theoretical concepts of agency and structure. Different versions of childhood (Theorizing Childhood: James, Jenks and Prout 1999).

Week 3: Historical perspectives: The Aries debate and subsequent developments in historical analysis (for example Hendricks)

Week 4: Children, Social Change in late modernity.
Trends in contemporary childhood including the 'Death of Childhood debate'. (Buckingham) and globalisation and childhood.

Week 5: Changing families, children and young people.
In-depth look at changing family forms and family life.

Week 6: Poverty, austerity and child well being
Subjective and objective measures of well-being and notions of poverty (absolute and relative poverty)

Week 7: Childhood and work - cross cultural perspectives
Examples from the Global North and the Global South.

Week 8: The child as worker
Field trip - Armley Mills Industrial Museum (additional seminar)

Week 9: New directions in the social study of childhood
Life-course analysis (including revisiting the being and becoming debates). Generational relations. Materiality and Childhood.

Week 10: Methodological developments in research with children and young people
Based on work of Christensen and James 2000/08 and Clarke and Moss, the Mosaic approach.

Week 11: Overview of module and recap of themes

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Fieldwork14.004.00
Lecture102.0020.00
Seminar21.002.00
Tutorial11.001.00
Private study hours173.00
Total Contact hours27.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Students will be expected to do specified reading in preparation for the seminars. They will also be expected to access documentary evidence.

They will also be expected to undertake private study in order to complete the assignments. Resources and activities will be available via the Virtual Learning Environment.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Formative assessment is conducted via practical tasks set in the weekly sessions. Discussion activities will take place each week to enable students to ask questions, clarify issues, and to enable the tutor to monitor student progress. Designated assignment support will be provided using lectures and workshops in weeks 4 and 9. Additional assignment support will be provided via tutorials.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Essay1 x 3000 words100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 06/05/2021

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