Consolidating Theory and Research: Childhood Studies Essay

Essay This essay depart discuss the bracing theories of puerility Studies, possible benefits to teachers and pincerren and how it relates to New Zealand early baby birdishness practice. Lets begin by looking for briefly at what puerility studies entails. childishness studies is a relatively new field of study that seeks to execute away from the outdated theory of seeing children with a social construction lens, where a child is a product of a particular set of cultur onlyy specific norms, to a social constructivist lens, which contractes on the child as an individual and how they interact with their accept environment. Not as passive earners, but people, with agency, who contribute to their own victimisation (Clark, R. 2010). Childhood studies draw from different fields of study, e. g. , psychology, education, health, anthropology, law, and sociology, and looks at children using a Bronfenbrenner model. Bronfenbrenner saw a child as being within society, within the bounds o f first, its family and setting, or the micro system. thus of its mesosystem, or the connections between the family and setting. Then of its community, or exosystem, where the microsystem function. Then in the macrosystem, or greater societal opus of a childs particular place of origin.Then lastly the cronosystem, or particular clipping in which a child lives, and the historic and societal factors of that time, that influence children (Clark, R. 2010). Because childhood studies look at childhood from a wider viewpoint, it allows children to be seen as functioning individuals within many different societal norms. It highlights problems with older theories of development e. g. Piagets stages of development (Claiborne, L. , & Drewery, W. 2010) Piagets stages define children within a narrow beam, with expectations clearly defined. But in reality, using theories in Childhood Studies, you find children with astly different competencies depending on their societal context. E. g. a three category old New Zealand child will be mostly dependant, protected and facing nothing much challenging than kindergarten and play, whereas a three year old child from the Congo or the South Ameri drop jungle is likely actively participating in serious household chores and contributing to family survival, undertaking t makes that a New Zealand parent would balk at (Berk, L. 2009). An interesting crossover is Steiner kindergartens practice of teaching children through with(predicate) participating in everyday life skills. e. g. , food preparation, cleaning, gardening, and useful echnological crafts like sewing and weaving (Oldfield, L. 2012), in a typically Western European setting of a teacher led service.The discourse that underpins neo European views of normal childhoods being vulnerable and needing to be protected (Clark, 2010), liberation into problems in the new theories of childhood studies. When you look at children as competent individuals and give them agency, empower them and give them room to develop beyond normal expectation, children often preform well beyond normal capabilities. Looking at children through a Childhood Studies focus forces teachers and researchers to reassess their philosophies and xpectations of children (Clark, 2010). Although teachers can use normative guides for approximate development, it is too difficult to winder an exact measure of normal and fit all children within that expectation (Clark, 2010). Average and ideal efficiency is relative to societal influences, and even in a small countries like New Zealand, cultural differences in Pacific, Maaori and European cultures provide stunning examples of different levels of competency, agency and expectation in children. For example, a strong focus on tuakana/teina relationships in Maaori whanau, or the xpectation of a larger role in siblings caring for each other (Tomlins-Jahnke, H. , & Durie, A. 2008), and the serious attitude of respect and responsibility afforded to P acific children relative to community and cultural practice (Pereira, F. 2004) & (Poland, M. , Paterson, J. , Carter, S. , Gao, W. , Perese, L. , & Stillman, S. 2010).Teachers can no longer presume that just because a child is of a certain age or size that the childs developmental competencies will be at the expected normal level. From person-to-person experience, I have a child who did not equal toileting self management at four, ut excelled in academics, and all my children were frequently mistaken for older children in early childhood settings because of their increased vertex and size. This often led to unreasonable expectation from other parents of their skill level and behavior. So in conclusion, Childhood studies urge us to know each child as an individual, so that we may cater to that childs best interests and levels of competency. The best way to do this is work on building sound joint relationships with children and their families (Ministry of Education, 1996), and by using qualitative methods of recording and presenting and valuating childrens learning in Early childhood settings (Ministry of Education, 2009). Childhood studies allow us to look holistically at a child and its surroundings and work to meet its ask within that setting, shedding typical expectations and working towards strengthening skills and competency. Part two Perspectives of children Sourcing and analyzing seven media examples concerning New Zealand children, I found strong connecting themes. These were overt consumerism in western culture, poverty vs wealth in normal discourse, overcome misunderstanding as to best normal development anging from personal to government level, and the frightening tide of maltreatment of technology in western society threatening childrens development. Children were discussed in all examples, but in that respect was no childrens voice. It seems normal to discuss and analyze children in media, but never to ask them their eyeshot Which seems to go against any rights that children have (United Nations. 1989) to be treated equally, and have an agency in their lives and culture. I will break the articles down to find the main themes underpinning each article, then link over lapping themes that run throughout.Article one Kiwi families conned by promise of free child care discusses the 20 hours free childcare policy. We see that although the government tries to provide all children with free early childhood education (ECE), centres are charging extra. We ask ourselves is this because government undervalues children in general and doesnt fund enough? Or is it because children are seen as commodities by EC centres who are trying to make a profit. Either way, children are being given economical value and both parties are struggling to balance books, not develop children. In article two, Should preschool be compulsory? two pundits debate compulsory preschool. The article points out the inability of the poor to afford what is in f act not free education for 3-5 year olds under the 20 hours free policy. A musical theme carried over from the first article. From a child studies point of view it raises these questions How can government presume all children fit appropriately into services in multicultural society? How can government insure centres meet cultural needs of children attending centres? And who decides the magic set of skills a child needs to acquire forwards starting school? Skills listed in the article do not fit skills