I have always had an interest in children and childhood studies. I have grown up in a joint family system, hence I have had a very close contact with children from an early age. I generally get on well with them, be it family or children of other family friends, I can establish a good relationship with them. One reason as to why I was motivated to study this module is that I have always wanted to be able to makes a difference in the lives of children and I believe by studying this particular module I can gain the knowledge and understanding of a range of issues which are associated to childhood, children and the society. This module will enable me to research studies and theories which are associated to childhood studies and child psychology. I also have the experience of working with children in a pharmacy, hence I would like to further pursue a career in understanding how we regard children has an impact on how they are treated and other factors which hey are associated to such as being able to make decisions . such as health related or medicine related.
Block 1 introduces an approach to the study of childhood by focusing on comparing the different perspectives from childhood studies and childhood factors. Childhood studies covers the whole age range of childhood from 0 to 18. It covers all aspects of children’s lives, and looks at work from academic subject areas, including law, sociology, history, anthropology, education, health and social care, psychology and medicine.
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We know that views of childhood impact on the ways in which adults treat children, as some people look at childhood as being a valuable time and a time for having fun, however, not everyone has the same point of view, others believe it is a time to prepare the child for the real world, a time in which the children can learn skills that will eb useful in the future and when they are older.
Lancy, 2008 states a mother in Liberia was asked ‘What makes a good child?’ The mother replied, ‘if you ask her to bring water, she brings water…when you ask her to plant rice, she doesn’t complain.’ This is the thought of many parents around the world, as they often take children with them to work so that they can lend them a hand, this could be in a shop or field, or even the household chores. Childhood is also seen as a ‘social construction’ which recognises ideas related to childhood changes across time and place, it also focuses on the consequences of the ideas and further the impact that it has on the children.
Child psychology is a term which is used to describe how people change as they grow up. It looks at explaining how the changes occur, whether it is due to experiences of the world or biological changes which occur over time and sometimes it may be due to both. Child psychology is often divided into physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Jean Piaget had a theory of cognitive development, he felt that cognitive development continues through predefined biological steps that are encouraged through physical interaction with the world.
Piaget believed that development happened in the individual and then followed to the social environment, however Vygotsky argued as he thought that development first happened through the child’s social interaction and then moved to the individual level. Vygotsky looked at the child as an apprentice learning through other social environment of those with more experience, whereas Piaget saw them as actively discovering the world through their individual interaction.
Another perspective on children and childhoods which will contribute to further developing my understanding is children’s rights. Children need special rights because they require extra protection in comparison to adults. They have a right to education, healthcare, protection (for example from abuse), a right to participate in decisions (in matters which are associated with them for example about medical treatment they should be having). Some rights have been assigned to children through international agreements and in national legislation and policy. They have a right to be protected from abuse, this could be physical, sexual or emotional. This
shows the vulnerability of children and their helplessness and that they do not really have the power. It pursues to increase the chance of the child having a happy childhood and also tries to help their proper development. Children rights are set out in 1989 by United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC). This policy states that children have rights to protection, provision and participation. However, participation rights have been debatable as it seems to challenge the relationships between adults and children.
In relation to learning E102, I have learned that I have some good study habits, however at the same time I have some bad study habits as well. My strengths include planning my time effectively and being well organised to ensure I do not miss any deadlines. I know I can study better at a morning time, as I am fresh, no tiredness and I am able to focus better. I choose to work in a room alone as I have no distractions and hence, I can concentrate better. Areas of improvement include to make sure I have plenty of time to prepare and get organised. To manage my time effectively as I am working and there is a set amount of time which is required in order to succeed on my studies, I will set goals and give myself deadlines so that I am able to complete a certain task in a fixed time . I think procrastination is a huge factor, because if I don’t know what to do or I don’t have the full understanding I will not know what to do or where to make the start. In such a situation I will make sure I get in touch with my personal to discuss the issue and will ask for extra help or guidance. Another factor is being attentive, and detail orientated, I think during this module I need to be more explanative and pay attention to detail and also be able to give a lot of detail when doing my assignments.
In order to address the aspects of learning which I believe I need to improve I think there are many academic resources and sources of support which can help me. First of all there is the online OU library. This includes Ebooks and Ejournals which are accessible at all times and can be helpful when preparing assignment. I am also able to use help from tutors and other students by posting on the tutor forum and group forum. There is also a help centre on the open university website from which I can ask for assistance when need be such as technical issues, it also provides help and support on help with writing and submitting assignments, study skills and completing studies. I am also able to join tutorials which are based in universities and also online tutorials, the process is to enrol onto them online in order to get help or support when struggling on a topic or when I don’t understand a subject and believe I need extra help or guidance.
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