Overview

The module will encourage students to challenge and debate dominant ideas about childhood and youth. It begins with an introduction to the concept of childhood, taking a historical look at the beginning of childhood as we know it, from Puritan times where ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ ruled through the Enlightenment and Romantic periods. We look at how childhood is created by society in these times looking at these with a modern eye, comparing historical discourses to how childhood is portrayed today. The latter part of the module deals with the effects of technology and the digital world on children. We will look at the positive and negative influences of technology and the web on how contemporary childhood is shaped.

The module will encourage students to challenge and debate dominant ideas about childhood and youth, and may include an exploration of the following questions and topics:

How are meanings of childhood and youth constructed in society? How have ideas about childhood and youth changed over time? How are children and young people portrayed (in the media, within educational contexts) Risk and resilience Gender stereotyping Childhood and youth as times of innocence or deviance Technology and the online world in relation to childhood The effects of a digital childhood

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -Threshold: D-, D, D+A satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the key historical and social ideas relevant to the study of childhood and youth. An adequate ability to discuss key areas of influence (such as technology or advertising) on children and young people's lives in contemporary society

-good -Good: C-, C, C+A significant knowledge and understanding of the key historical and social ideas relevant to the study of childhood and youth. A good ability to discuss key areas of influence on children and young people's lives in contemporary society. Work at this level shows some reasonably good engagement with wider research.

-excellent -Excellent: A- to A*A comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the key historical and social ideas relevant to the study of childhood and youth. An exceptional ability to discuss key spheres of influence on children and young people's lives in contemporary society. Work at this level engages deeply with research and offers some independent thought and reflection based on such engagement.

Learning Outcomes

• demonstrate and apply an informed understanding of the effects of digital technology on children

• demonstrate and apply an informed understanding of the key social and historical discourses of childhood and how childhood has been constructed by society

• identify the factors that cause worry for adults together with the possible benefits when children use technology

• understand the connections between theoretical ideas about childhood and youth with contemporary experiences in the lives of children and young people