Understanding The Childhood And The State Sociology Essay

Understanding The Childhood And The State Sociology EssayThe aim of this search is to critically analyse both case studies by Virginia Morrow using arguments from the New Sociology of Childhood. The starting line part of the essay will discuss the invention of pertly sociology of puerility by explaining what it is, why it came some and what it main claims be. It will then blend in on to explore the findings of the above mentioned qualitative research of a assort of children between 8 and 14 years of age in congress to their perspective on what they believe families to be.Children as loving actors and childrens participation argon key notions in what is considered as a modern day discourse. The implications discourses overhear in the musical modes in which children are portrayed and treated deep down society and the influence the actions interpreted by people and the judgement taken by them are often the subject of social pull inionists. It is also sanitary documente d that different cultures mint also save different perception, so can different situations and circumstances.In fresh years, researchers guide developed advanced(a) methods for undertaking research with children. It has been customary to carry out research methods which extradite not directly involved children, for example, the study of children on a gigantic scale and this has led to some disagreement by some sociologist because it is seen as carrying out a survey on children rather than with children. As an alternative, researchers have shifted towards the importance of giving the child a voice as social actors and be central in any research practise.It could be argued that more(prenominal) or less sociological policies and theories have in the past regarded children as macrocosm in all dependent, incapable, and dependent on their families to function successfully within a society. However, by adopting a childrens right perspective which is compatible with theoretical developments in the new sociology of childhood can mean that children have the power, skills, knowledge and resources to protect them. Children have been identified within the international framework of human rights as deserve of special consideration.As quoted by J. Eekelarthe language of rights performs an important function. It acknowledges that there are certain things which we should provide for children, not just because adults think it would be sensitive if they had them, nevertheless because we are prepared to recognise that children want them, or can reasonably be assumed to want them.(J.Eekelar Why Children? Why Rights? 2003) fit to (James and Prout 1997) children are referred as active social agents and reliable informants of their own experience, who construct and shape the social structures and processes of their lives. Followers to this theory pay much trouble to how children perceive the world around them and that they have their own distinctive direction of lo oking at family life whereby the relationship is seen as a 2 way process with the child and the parent have a overlap influence on any decisions taken. The research, by Morrow proposes that the majority of children do not want to put one across decision but rather would prefer to make a contribution to ther decision making process.None the less, there are some theorists who do not consider children as having sufficient apology even today. superstar of the sociologists is Melanie Philips who makes a case that the traditions of parenthood in the UK has busted down and that childhood simplicity has been destabilized by those with open mind which in turn could mean that children are put upn too many powers and rights. different would suggest that the concept of cnew theory of childhood has become much more complicated and that there is an indication that the estimation of a traditional childhood is yet again organism lost. It is argued that this is not because of lack of underst anding but done the lack of economic equality. Combined with the sophisticated and business-like way of living, it could be believed that childhood has somewhat been reduced as a result to the picture show to more adult information creating a child that is much more interested in ein truthday materialistic objects, and as such expelled from the tend of childhood (Postman, 1983)According to (Leacock 1981), within the new sociology of childhood, one of the key elements is that children should be considered as social actors, and by doing this, children are then taken from the idea of being objects, and to be studied on the basis that childrens beliefs and experiences do give insight into the meaning of childhood (Callinicos,1993).The research by Virginia Morrow (1998) was undertaken to explore 2 current phenomena . Firstly, that children of today experience quite varied family settings on their way to adulthood The second phenomena was in relation to the changes that have occurred in recent sociological theories whereby children should be listened to and importance given to what they have to say.The study looked at what childrens perceptions were on the family unit and how this might differ between cultures and background. It appeared that for many of the children, regardless of their ethnic background, their life revolved around their family or the extended family. One of the main findings was that childrens view in the main does not concur to what is considered as stereotypical notion of what a nuclear family is. Another key finding was that all the children included words such as care,support love and find when describing what characteristics of family. Again this was though regardless of ethnic background, where they came from or their gender.A residuum was found between children of different ages, as younger children saw having children and being in a marriage as the basis to a family and indorse this up with examples from their own families. Older c hildren were more ready to look at things outside their own domain.Many of the children referred to the term relations when describing their family and many were conscious that individuals were related in different ways such as through marriage or genetically.In general, children explained that families were important to them and they saw their own family as any other family in general.When the question of who was important to them, the answer was parents, specially their mothers because they provide love and care. For some of the children, their sisters and brothers were seen as important to them. It appeared from their reactions that friendship was very important so some older children, especially girls.Finally, when asked about being listened to and being able to give their opinion, the children needed to be involved in decision making and have their say in what happens to them. Some considered that they were being listened to by their families while other did not. Some of the older children however, did mentioned that making a decision was not an easy task.On reflection therefore, the aim of this essay was to analyse the above mentioned case studies taking the new sociology of childhood into consideration. It could be said that discourses offer different and contrasting ways of thinking about children and childhood and as a consequence how they are viewed and treated by society. What this discussion serves to highlight is that there are conflicting thoughts surrounding the concept of childhood and that there is no clear right or rail at way of looking at what childhood conveys.