Consolidating Theory and Research: Childhood Studies
Part one: Essay
This essay will discuss the new theories of Childhood Studies, possible benefits to teachers
and children and how it relates to New Zealand early childhood practice. Let’s begin by
looking briefly at what childhood studies entails.
Childhood studies is a relatively new field of study that seeks to move away from the outdated
theory of seeing children with a ‘social construction’ lens, where a child is a product of a
particular set of culturally specific norms, to a ‘social constructivist’ lens, which focuses on
the child as an individual and how they interact with their own environment. Not as passive
learners, but people, with agency, who contribute to their own development (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 of first, it’s family and
setting, or the micro system. Then 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 makeup of a child’s particular place of origin. Then lastly
the cronosystem, or particular time 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. Piaget’s stages of development (Claiborne, L., &
Drewery, W. 2010) Piaget’s stages define children within a narrow beam, with expectations
clearly defined. But in reality, using theories in Childhood Studies, you find children with
vastly different
This essay will discuss the new theories of Childhood Studies, possible benefits to teachers
and children and how it relates to New Zealand early childhood practice. Let’s begin by
looking briefly at what childhood studies entails.
Childhood studies is a relatively new field of study that seeks to move away from the outdated
theory of seeing children with a ‘social construction’ lens, where a child is a product of a
particular set of culturally specific norms, to a ‘social constructivist’ lens, which focuses on
the child as an individual and how they interact with their own environment. Not as passive
learners, but people, with agency, who contribute to their own development (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 of first, it’s family and
setting, or the micro system. Then 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 makeup of a child’s particular place of origin. Then lastly
the cronosystem, or particular time 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. Piaget’s stages of development (Claiborne, L., &
Drewery, W. 2010) Piaget’s stages define children within a narrow beam, with expectations
clearly defined. But in reality, using theories in Childhood Studies, you find children with
vastly different
References: Barbaro, A., Earp, J. (Directors). (2008). Consuming Kids (Documentary). United States. Berk, L. (2009). Child Development (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Claiborne, L.B., & Drewery, W. (Eds).(2010). Human Development: Family, place, culture (3rd ed.) Clark, R. (2010). Childhood in society for early childhood studies. Exeter, England: Learning Matters Gunn, A., Child, C., Madden, B., Purdue, K., Surtees, N., Turlow, B., & Todd, P. (2004). *Jordan, A., Hersey, J., McDivitt, J., Heitzler, C. (2006) Reducing Children’s Television- Viewing Time: A Qualitative Study of Parents and Their Children Melton, G. (2010). Angels (and neighbors) watching over us: child safety and family support in an age of alienation Ministry of Education. (1996). Ke tua o te pae/Assessment for learning: Early childhood exemplars Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whaariki: He whaariki maatauranga moo ngaa mokopuna o Aotearoa/Early childhood curriculum Oldfield, L. (2012). Free to learn. Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Care and education. (2nd ed.) Perlmutter, D. (2010). Brian Development: How Much T.V. Should Children Watch? Retrieved 3/4/13 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-david-perlmutter-md/television-and-the-develo_b_786934.html Pereira, F. (2004). A pacific perspective on family discipline. Childrenz Issues, 8(2),27-29. Poland, M., Paterson, J., Carter, S., Gao, W., Perese, L., & Stillman, S. (2010). Pacific Island families study: Factors associated with living in an extended family one year on from the Smith, A., Duncan, J., & Marshall, K. (2005). Childrens perspectives on their own learning: Exploring methods Tomlins-Jahnke, H., & Durie, A. (2008). Whanau socialization through everyday talk: A pilot study United Nations. (1989). Convention on the rights of the child. Geneva, Switzerland.