Sociological Perspectives on Children and Childhood

Aim

After completion of the course, the student should on an advanced level be able to:

• account for theoretical and methodological perspectives and concepts within childhood sociology
• describe how the field of childhood sociology has changed over time
• account for how children use and are formed by societal norms, structures and material aspects in everyday life
• analyze central concepts relevant for understanding children and childhood

Content

The course gives an overview on theoretical and methodological approaches within childhood sociology. The course identifies central concepts, their definitions and use as well as how methods are used in research focusing on children’s voices, perspectives, and practices. The development of the field is discussed through classical texts in combination with future oriented theoretical and methodological ideas. The course also provides insights into children’s the everyday life conditions and relationships situated in relation to societal norms, structures, material conditions and different social and cultural contexts. As part of the course different academic writing skills are used in the assignments, such as summarizing, analyzing, and reflecting. Moreover, the course includes making an extended literature search on a topic relevant for understanding children and childhood.