2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

EDUC5861M Theorizing Childhood and Youth

30 creditsClass Size: 50

Module manager: Dr Delyth Edwards
Email: D.Edwards@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

The core module will introduce you to the study of children and young people through a focus on key developments in academic thinking, policy and practice. The 'new' social studies of childhood provide the theoretical basis of the module. It sees the child as 'becoming' in terms of development, change and maturation and as a 'being' that is a person with capacity to create meaning and to act in the world. In this module we will draw on social and cultural perspectives. Consistent with this, the module emphasises the understanding of the life-worlds of children and young people from their own perspectives (their experiences, understandings and meaning making) and seeing children as social actors actively engaging in their lives as parts of the family, school, local and global communities. You will have the opportunity to study the various, sometimes competing, paradigms concerned with children's voice and rights and engage in debate, analysis and critique of the current research-policy-to-practice contexts nationally and internationally drawing on examples including but not limited to children's and young people's rights, learning and care. The reading of key texts and critical discussion of concepts and perspectives will help you to understand important paradigmatic shifts and their implication for our thinking and practice. You will engage with a range of on-line materials and activities. Through this module you will gain an overview of key theoretical debates and develop a critical analytical understanding of children as social actors, a theme that is developed in more detail within the other modules of the programme.

Objectives

It aims to:

1. Introduce the development of Childhood Studies as an evolving, endeavour;

2. Briefly consider the shift in the psychological study of children from child development to development in social context;

- Examine the sociological study of children, including the social construction of childhood and current debates about the bio-social hybridity of childhood and future of childhood studies;

- Consider children as social actors, including collective and individual agency;

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject. Students will be able to:

1. Apply a variety of theoretical perspectives and empirical studies in order to demonstrate knowledge of how the ‘new’ social studies of childhood has contributed to the study of children and childhood.

2. Critique understandings of childhood and youth as social constructions and children and young people as social actors.

3. Critique and evaluate children and young people's lives in local and global contexts.

4. Critically analyse and evaulate how policy and practice of working with children and young people is shaped by theories of childhood and youth.

Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:

1. To articulate and share ideas, arguments and concepts related to the ‘new’ social studies of childhood studies clearly, coherently, and concisely in written and oral forms.

2. To be critical of and evaluate theories to examine childhood and youth policies and practices.

3. Apply independence, autonomy and self-direction in planning and completing assessments.

Syllabus

Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	2.00	22.00
Seminar	2	1.00	2.00
Private study hours			276.00
Total Contact hours			24.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			300.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Formative assessment is conducted during the activities and discussion conducted in the weekly sessions and in the seminar discussions. These will enable students to ask questions, clarify issues and the tutor to monitor student progress. Specific support for the assessment assignment will be provided in the seminar and in one-to-one meetings between tutors and students.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	Coursework	50.00
Assignment	Coursework	50.00
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: 29/04/2024 16:13:19

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