Conceitos-chave em Sociologia da Infância. Perspetivas Globais / Key concepts on Sociology of Childhood. Global Perspectives

This book intends to fill a gap still open in the scientific area of Sociology of Childhood. It brings togheher the contributions of 55 authors, nationally and internationally recognized, from diverse geographies, in a renewed critical analysis on issues, themes and challenges currently placed in research on childhood and on the child(ren). The main goal is to share in a single volume a significant set of scientific reflections on key concepts of contemporary research in the area, in Portuguese and English, aiming to reach wider audiences around the globe.

Leisure time of working children in Addis Ababa

Based on Article 31(1), the rights of the child to rest and leisure, and applying sociology of childhood as our theoretical approach, we investigated leisure and play among working children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Data from 45 qualitative interviews shows that the reasons behind work vary among children. For some, the primary motivation for work is getting money for recreation, while others are obliged to help families. Accordingly, leisure and play have different meanings for different children.

“This is how I learn": children's perceptions of their experiences in two different learning environments

This qualitative study explored five children’s perspectives of their experiences in both a university laboratory school and in their current public school setting. Semi-structured conversations and child-produced drawings provided children with an opportunity, not only to express their thoughts and opinions, but also aided in establishing children as competent informants on their own lived experiences. Employing the ‘new’ sociology of childhood, critical studies, and a child rights-based perspective as theoretical frameworks, an overarching theme of power and hierarchy was established throughout the children’s descriptions of their experiences. More specifically, this central theme is explored through the children’s discussions and descriptions of: space, pedagogical practice, peer relationships, rules, and their decision-making and influence on curriculum. These themes, however, present themselves differently in the children’s implicit and explicit comparisons of the different learning environments. In conclusion, recommendations for future practices and areas for further research are discussed. Keywords: children’s perception of education, ‘new’ sociology of childhood, critical pedagogy, kindergarten, university laboratory schools

"We're all friends here": how do early childhood educators promote friendship in the classroom?

This qualitative study set out to explore how five early childhood educators perceive and promote friendship in a toddler room, a preschool room, and a kindergarten room of an early learning center in Ontario, Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore educator’s perceptions about friendship and their reported strategies for promoting friendship. Observations of each classroom explored educator’s strategies used to promote friendship in practice. New sociology of childhood and developmental theoretical frameworks were used to explore educator’s perceptions and strategies. Educator’s perceptions about friendship were placed on a continuum ranging from perceptions that aligned with new sociology of childhood to developmental theory. The reported and observed strategies were categorized into active, reactive and passive strategies. Implications of these findings for practice, policy, and research were discussed.

"We're all friends here": how do early childhood educators promote friendship in the classroom?

This qualitative study set out to explore how five early childhood educators perceive and promote friendship in a toddler room, a preschool room, and a kindergarten room of an early learning center in Ontario, Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore educator’s perceptions about friendship and their reported strategies for promoting friendship. Observations of each classroom explored educator’s strategies used to promote friendship in practice. New sociology of childhood and developmental theoretical frameworks were used to explore educator’s perceptions and strategies. Educator’s perceptions about friendship were placed on a continuum ranging from perceptions that aligned with new sociology of childhood to developmental theory. The reported and observed strategies were categorized into active, reactive and passive strategies. Implications of these findings for practice, policy, and research were discussed.

“This is how I learn": children's perceptions of their experiences in two different learning environments

This qualitative study explored five children’s perspectives of their experiences in both a university laboratory school and in their current public school setting. Semi-structured conversations and child-produced drawings provided children with an opportunity, not only to express their thoughts and opinions, but also aided in establishing children as competent informants on their own lived experiences. Employing the ‘new’ sociology of childhood, critical studies, and a child rights-based perspective as theoretical frameworks, an overarching theme of power and hierarchy was established throughout the children’s descriptions of their experiences. More specifically, this central theme is explored through the children’s discussions and descriptions of: space, pedagogical practice, peer relationships, rules, and their decision-making and influence on curriculum. These themes, however, present themselves differently in the children’s implicit and explicit comparisons of the different learning environments. In conclusion, recommendations for future practices and areas for further research are discussed. Keywords: children’s perception of education, ‘new’ sociology of childhood, critical pedagogy, kindergarten, university laboratory schools

“It’s easier to be with them”: How children with mental health concerns perceive their experiences with equine-assisted therapies

Animal assisted therapy was founded as early as 1792 to support an individual’s health (Wilson, Buultjens, Monfries & Karimi, 2017). One form of animal assisted therapy drawing attention over the past few decades is equine-assisted therapy and interventions (EAT/I). Research in this area has largely considered adults’ perspectives of EAT/I and has failed to consider how children using EAT/I perceive treatments. Using a sociology of childhood framework (Prout & James, 1997), a children’s rights perspective (Di Santo & Keannelly, 2014), and a disability justice framework (Devlieger, 1999) the present research employed qualitative, semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions and play-based methods. Five children aged five to twelve were interviewed, each of whom were enrolled in EAT/I. The findings demonstrated the children’s appreciation for their experiences with horses and experiences at the farm. They provided insight into how EAT/I benefit them and contrasted these experiences to their lived experiences outside the farm. Keywords: Equine assisted therapy, sociology of childhood, children’s rights, mental health

“It’s easier to be with them”: How children with mental health concerns perceive their experiences with equine-assisted therapies

Animal assisted therapy was founded as early as 1792 to support an individual’s health (Wilson, Buultjens, Monfries & Karimi, 2017). One form of animal assisted therapy drawing attention over the past few decades is equine-assisted therapy and interventions (EAT/I). Research in this area has largely considered adults’ perspectives of EAT/I and has failed to consider how children using EAT/I perceive treatments. Using a sociology of childhood framework (Prout & James, 1997), a children’s rights perspective (Di Santo & Keannelly, 2014), and a disability justice framework (Devlieger, 1999) the present research employed qualitative, semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions and play-based methods. Five children aged five to twelve were interviewed, each of whom were enrolled in EAT/I. The findings demonstrated the children’s appreciation for their experiences with horses and experiences at the farm. They provided insight into how EAT/I benefit them and contrasted these experiences to their lived experiences outside the farm. Keywords: Equine assisted therapy, sociology of childhood, children’s rights, mental health

The critique of Sociology of Childhood: Human capital as the concrete ‘social construction of childhood’

The ‘New Paradigm’ of Sociology of Childhood famously maintains that childhood is socially constructed and supposedly places a much greater emphasis on the agency of children: children should not simply be framed as the passive receivers of socialisation. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that such a ‘social construction’ of childhood is not concretely articulated and that the theoretical understanding of the ‘social construction’ of childhood is simply delegated to historiographical or ethnographic accounts. In doing so, it advances a new criticism of the New Paradigm and radicalises previous ones. Here, key is the theoretical engagement with the concept of ‘human capital’: foregrounding its critique, this article proposes the link between ‘human capital’ as a neoliberal version of labour power and the concept of socialisation. The aim is to show that the ‘social construction’ of childhood is central, but the New Paradigm uses categories that are at the same time founded on neo-liberal views and abstracted from concrete social relations. This article maintains that a concrete critique of processes of socialisation (which is here understood as the socialisation of childhood as human capital) is needed instead of abstract critique of reified childhood. Two alternative pedagogical practices are used to provide an example of such a concrete critique.