This module will explore the nature of childhood from a range of perspectives, including contemporary, sociological, philosophical and historical feminist and functionalist. It will evaluate differing views of the influence of society on the child. Relevant aspects of the legislative framework within which child carers and educators are operating will be examined. The principles enshrined in relevant legislation, the sources of support for children, parents and carers will be examined and aspects of multi-disciplinary working will be considered. Influences which affect children within the family and society will be researched, for example parenting, schooling, poverty, race, ethnicity, gender, Inequalities in society and discrimination.

In this module the sociological backdrop that is relevant to contemporary childhood in the UK will be examined. Connections will be made between current and relevant theories on childhood and the students’ own practice and settings. Opportunities will be given to reflect upon their own practice/experience and undertake reviews of literature exploring sources of support for families, examining the nature of the child in the present society and the effects of diverse influences upon the development of children. This module will also examine young people and citizenship and the importance of giving them a voice.

Task 1 scrapbook- (LO 1, 2,3) 1500 words examining perspectives on an issue relating to children family and society. Students will select 2/3 perspectives on which to focus their enquiry.

The teaching, learning and assessment strategy has been carefully developed for this module. It recognises you may bring with you practical experience as level 4 students and knowledge of specific contexts to share with others, and this pool of practical experience will be used to promote discussion and debate, which will build upon existing knowledge to encourage reflection and critical thought. You will be an active participant in your learning and engage with online learning, some face to face content, group activities and individual tasks set. You will be encouraged to be a critical thinker and apply your learning in an academic and professional context. Some sessions require prior reading and independent research to inform the sessions.

A digitally enabled blended approach will be used to support both virtual and face to face opportunities.

University workshops will draw upon your experience and help you to interpret that experience in the light of current thinking on teaching, learning, assessment and schooling in relation to literacy and numeracy. You will also be asked to use the ideas explored in the sessions in planning your future work. You will also be asked to collaborate with others in preparing and presenting your work.¿

The methods are designed to provide practical contexts for the analysis of contemporary issues and problems of a practical nature. The following strategies will be adopted to ensure that you have a supportive teaching and learning environment, providing a range of learning opportunities

Work Related Learning – You will be required to reflect on values, practices, assumptions and work-place policies. Work-based activities help students to establish connections between the workplace and issues raised by the programme.

Lectures - You will be given lectures which will provide theoretical underpinning on key educational concepts. These may take the form of face-to-face, digital or virtual sessions

Tutorials – You will be given the opportunity to discuss work-related and academic concerns in small group tutorials and/or individual tutorials. This will support the development of theoretical understanding.

Guided reading and supported self-study – You will be provided with booklists and reading tasks in order to enable you to engage with relevant and appropriate debates.

This module will also provide opportunities for you to:
- Work with others
- Develop interpersonal skills
- Demonstrate the capacity to plan, share goals, and work as a member of a team
- Communicate and present oral and written arguments

Formative assessment opportunities include:
Drafts
Peer reviews and mock assessment 2.
Non-assessed presentations
Annotated bibliographies

1. Identify current and historical constructs relating to the concept of childhood and recognise that the nature of childhood in different contexts

2. ¿Evaluate the influences which can affect the development and well-being of children both in the family and in society

3. Analyse a variety of theoretical perspectives in relation to children’s agency within the family and wider society that are informed by academic literature and research

Unless otherwise stated, all books are available online through Staffordshire University library website when logged in using your university username and password. If you have difficulty accessing these, please contact the University library. There is also an online reading list for each module on this course. To access this, go to http://staffs.rebuslist.com/ and then type in the module code in the search box. Do not worry if this list seems excessively long. You may wish to focus on texts which are most relevant to your education sector. This module covers a wide range of texts and you may find that you only need to read short sections of the texts listed (or from other texts that you may find in libraries or journals). Your tutor will also advise you on the relevant texts and sections of texts to read. Remember that it is important to show you have considered views from a wide range of sources. When referring to texts in your assignment, always use https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/refzone for guidance. There are many versions of Harvard referencing systems in use around the world, but for Staffordshire University, Refzone Harvard system is the only correct method to use.

Study skills:

For guidance on academic writing, remember that the Staffordshire University library holds a wealth of resources to support study skills at https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/study-skills. The study skills team can also provide 1 to 1 support.

Boronski, T and Hassan, N (2020) sociology of education. (2nd ed) London. Sage.
Domina, T (2019) Education and Society: An Introduction to Key Issues in the Sociology of Education. Oakland. CUP
Foley, P., Roche, J., and Tucker,J. (2020) Children in Society: Contemporary Theory, Policy and Practice. Basingstoke. Palgrave.

The module has been designed to enable you to reflect upon the concept of childhood, in relation to the family and society. It draws upon differing disciplines within education such as sociology and psychology as well as politics. This will enable you to reflect upon your understanding of the child and how this relates to your practice.