topic 3 - theories of childhood

TOPIC 4:

THEORIES OF CHILDHOOD

What are children learning and how do they learn?

When do children develop emotional capabilities similar to adults?

How do children process information?

How do childhood experiences affect personality development?

TRADITIONAL QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT Children

Born out of a discontent with the ways traditional academic perspectives saw children and treated childhood as

simply a step on the way to adulthood, the new sociology of children was established.

the New Sociology of Children

Introduced by sociologist Barrie Thorne,

Launched as an area of academic study by Gertrud Lenzer in 1991,

... And theoretically advanced by William Corsaro in the U.S. and Alan Prout and Alison James in the UK.

the New Sociology of Children

THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS

FOUNDED BY

B.F. Skinner(& Pavlov)

Psychological Theory

of BEHAVIORISM


of BEHAVIORISM

REINFORCEMENT& PUNISHMENT

ARE KEY in Learning


of BEHAVIORISM

Some Assumptions:#1. Child is Passive

#2. Adults Shape Children

#3. Development is Unilateral


of BEHAVIORISM

MICRO / IndividuaL


of BEHAVIORISM

Assumptions:

#1. Child is Passive

#2. Adults Shape Children

#3. Development is Unilateral

FOUNDED BY: B.F. Skinner

Reinforcement & PunishmentAre Key in Learning

FOCUS: Micro / Individual


of BEHAVIORISM

Functionalist ViewOF SOCIALIZATION THEORY

FOUNDED BY

Durkheim & Parsons

SOCIALIZATION IS VIEWED...

Older Generations PASS Culture Onto Younger Generations


Some Assumptions:#1. Child is passive

#2. Children must be shaped to fit in

#3. Cultural transmission insures survival


MACRO / SOCIETAL


Assumptions:

#1. Child is Passive

#2. Children must be shaped to fit in

#3. Cultural transmission

insures survival

FOUNDED BY: Durkheim, Parsons

FOCUS: Macro / Societal

OLDER GENERATION

PASSES CULTURE On To YOUNGER GENERATION


THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENTS

SOCIAL LEARNINGPERSPECTIVE

FOUNDED BY

Piaget & Vygotsky

(Neither)

Children...

Interpret, Organize, and Use

Information

From Their Environment


Some Assumptions:#1. Development occurs in discrete stages

#2. Child must accomplish one stage successfully before moving on to the next


MICRO / IndividuaL


Assumptions:

#1. Development occurs in discrete

stages

#2. Child must accomplish one

before moving on to the next

FOUNDED BY: Piaget, Vygotsky


Children Interpret, Organize and Use Information from their Environment


INTERACTIONISTPERSPECTIVE

FOUNDED BY GEORGE HERBERT MEAD

MICRO / IndividuaL


Children Develop Identityin response to

interactions with others


Some Assumptions:#1. Child is an active agent

#2. Identity is based on children’s perceptions of others’ perceptions of them


Assumptions:

#1. Child is an active agent

#2. Identity is based on children’s

perceptions of others’ perceptions

of them

FOUNDED BY: Mead


Children Develop Identity in response

to Interactions with others


THEORETICAL Innovations

Interpretive Reproduction

FOUNDED BY

William Corsaro

Children Negotiate, Share

and Create Culture with Adults

and Each Other


Some Assumptions:#1. Children are active agents#2. Children are innovative and creative#2. Children influence adults in addition

to being influenced by them


Micro-MaCRO Connections


Assumptions:

#1. Children are active agents

#2. Children are innovative & creative

#2. Children influence adults and

vice versa

FOUNDED BY: Corsaro


Children Negotiate, Share, and Create

CulturE with Adults and Each Other


Ecological Perspectives

FOUNDED BY

Urie Bronfenbrenner

Child Develops Competence

Within a

Social Network


OVERLAPPINGSOCIAL CIRCLES

Some Assumptions:#1. Social systems overlap and interact#2. Interactions between systems shape

child outcomes#3. The goal for the child is competence


Assumptions:

#1. Social systems overlap and interact

#2. Interactions between systems

shape child outcomes

#2. The goal for the child is competence

FOUNDED BY: Bronfenbrenner

FOCUS: Micro/Macro


Child Develops CompetenceWithin a

Social Network

Structural Perspectives

FOUNDED BY JENS QVORTRUP

(NOT JENS QVORTRUP)

Childhood is a Permanent

Structural CategorySimilar to Social Class


Some Assumptions:#1. Childhood constitutes a particular

social form#2. Children are exposed to the same

social forces as adults#3. Children actively construct society


Assumptions:

#1. Social systems overlap and interact

#2. Interactions between systems

shape child outcomes

#2. The goal for the child is competence

FOUNDED BY: Qvortrup

FOCUS: Macro

Childhood is a Permanent Structural

CategorySimilar to Social Class


CRITICAL Perspectives

FOUNDED BY BARRIE THORNE

and James & Prout

ChildrenRESIST domination, both actively and passively


Some Assumptions:#1. Children are active agents#2. Adults have more power than children

and use it to control and dominate them#3. Like other oppressed groups, children

will resist domination


Assumptions:

#1. Children are active agents

#2. Adults have more power than children and use it to

control and dominate them

#2. Like other oppressed groups, children will resist

domination

FOUNDED BY: Thorne,

Prout & James

FOCUS: Micro-Macro

ChildrenRESIST domination, both actively & passively


Behaviorism

Socialization

Learning Theory

Interactionist


Ecological

Structural

Critical

USING THEORETICAL APPROACHES

Which of these theories do you tend to use to explain children’s lives/childhood?

Sometimes two theories will give us two different

perspectives on an event or situation

Sometimes different theories will be compatible and will

expand our understanding of an event or situation

How do children theorize about their lives?

THE

MARSHMALLOW TEST

topic 3 - theories of childhood

Education