Exploring different theories of childhood – from the foundational theories of behaviorism and socialization; to later developments like the social learning and interactionist perspectives; and finally to recent innovative theories & perspectives like interpretive reproduction, the ecological approach, and structural and critical perspectives. In each, we examine the social scientists and theorists behind the theory, its focus (either micro or macro, or the connections between them), its key thoughts about children, and some of the assumptions that underpin the theory.

1. TOPIC 4:
THEORIES OF
CHILDHOOD

2. TRADITIONAL QUESTIONS
ASKED ABOUT Children
What are children learning and how do they learn?
When do children develop emotional capabilities
similar to adults?
How do children process information?
How do childhood experiences affect personality
development?

3. the New Sociology
of Children
Born out of a discontent with the
ways traditional academic perspectives
saw children and treated childhood as
simply a step on the way to adulthood, the
new sociology of children was established.

4. the New Sociology
of Children
Introduced by sociologist Barrie Thorne,
Launched as an area of academic study
by Gertrud Lenzer in 1991,
... And theoretically advanced by William
Corsaro in the U.S. and Alan Prout and
Alison James in the UK.

5. THEORETICAL
FOUNDATIONS

6. FOUNDED BY
B.F. Skinner
(& Pavlov)
Psychological Theory
of BEHAVIORISM

7. Psychological Theory
of BEHAVIORISM

8. REINFORCEMENT
& PUNISHMENT
ARE KEY in Learning
Psychological Theory
of BEHAVIORISM

9. Some Assumptions:
#1. Child is Passive
#2. Adults Shape Children
#3. Development is Unilateral
Psychological Theory
of BEHAVIORISM

10. MICRO / IndividuaL
Psychological Theory
of BEHAVIORISM

11. FOUNDED BY: Assumptions:
B.F. Skinner #1. Child is Passive
FOCUS: #2. Adults Shape
Micro / Individual Children
#3. Development is
Reinforcement Unilateral
& Punishment
Are Key in Learning
Psychological Theory
of BEHAVIORISM

12. FOUNDED BY
Durkheim
& Parsons
Functionalist View
OF SOCIALIZATION THEORY

13. SOCIALIZATION IS VIEWED...
Older Generations
PASS Culture Onto
Younger Generations
Functionalist View
OF SOCIALIZATION THEORY

14. Some Assumptions:
#1. Child is passive
#2. Children must be shaped to fit in
#3. Cultural transmission insures survival
Functionalist View
OF SOCIALIZATION THEORY

15. MACRO / SOCIETAL
Functionalist View
OF SOCIALIZATION THEORY

16. FOUNDED BY: Assumptions:
Durkheim, Parsons #1. Child is Passive
FOCUS: #2. Children must be
Macro / Societal shaped to fit in
#3. Cultural
OLDER GENERATION transmission
PASSES CULTURE On To insures survival
YOUNGER GENERATION
Functionalist View
OF SOCIALIZATION THEORY

17. THEORETICAL
DEVELOPMENTS

18. (Neither)
FOUNDED BY
Piaget &
Vygotsky
SOCIAL LEARNING
PERSPECTIVE

19. Children...
Interpret,
Organize, and Use
Information
From Their Environment
SOCIAL LEARNING
PERSPECTIVE

20. Some Assumptions:
#1. Development occurs in discrete
stages
#2. Child must accomplish one stage
successfully before moving on to
the next
SOCIAL LEARNING
PERSPECTIVE

21. MICRO / IndividuaL
SOCIAL LEARNING
PERSPECTIVE

22. FOUNDED BY: Assumptions:
Piaget, Vygotsky #1. Development
FOCUS: occurs in discrete
stages
Micro / Individual
#2. Child must
Children Interpret, accomplish one
Organize and Use before moving on
Information from
their Environment to the next
SOCIAL LEARNING
PERSPECTIVE

23. FOUNDED BY
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD
INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVE

24. MICRO / IndividuaL
INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVE

25. Children
Develop Identity
in response to
interactions with others
INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVE

26. Some Assumptions:
#1. Child is an active agent
#2. Identity is based on children’s
perceptions of others’ perceptions
of them
INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVE

27. FOUNDED BY: Assumptions:
Mead #1. Child is an
FOCUS: active agent
Micro / Individual #2. Identity is
based on children’s
Children Develop perceptions of
Identity in response others’ perceptions
to Interactions
with others of them
INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVE

28. THEORETICAL
Innovations

29. FOUNDED BY
William
Corsaro
Interpretive
Reproduction

30. Children
Negotiate, Share
and Create Culture
with Adults
and Each Other
Interpretive
Reproduction

31. Some Assumptions:
#1. Children are active agents
#2. Children are innovative and creative
#2. Children influence adults in addition
to being influenced by them
Interpretive
Reproduction

32. Micro-MaCRO Connections
Interpretive
Reproduction

33. FOUNDED BY: Assumptions:
Corsaro #1. Children are
active agents
FOCUS:
Micro / Individual #2. Children are
innovative & creative
Children Negotiate, #2. Children
Share, and Create influence adults and
CulturE with Adults vice versa
and Each Other
Interpretive
Reproduction

34. FOUNDED BY
Urie
Bronfenbrenner
Ecological
Perspectives

35. Child Develops
Competence
Within a
Social Network
Ecological
Perspectives

36. Micro-MaCRO Connections
Ecological
Perspectives

37. OVERLAPPING
SOCIAL CIRCLES

38. Some Assumptions:
#1. Social systems overlap and interact
#2. Interactions between systems shape
child outcomes
#3. The goal for the child is competence
Ecological
Perspectives

39. FOUNDED BY: Assumptions:
Bronfenbrenner #1. Social systems
overlap and interact
FOCUS:
Micro/Macro #2. Interactions
between systems
Child Develops shape child outcomes
Competence #2. The goal for the
Within a
child is competence
Social Network
Ecological
Perspectives

40. FOUNDED BY
JENS QVORTRUP
(NOT JENS
QVORTRUP)
Structural
Perspectives

41. Childhood is a
Permanent
Structural Category
Similar to Social Class
Structural
Perspectives

42. Some Assumptions:
#1. Childhood constitutes a particular
social form
#2. Children are exposed to the same
social forces as adults
#3. Children actively construct society
Structural
Perspectives

43. Micro-MaCRO Connections
Structural
Perspectives

44. FOUNDED BY: Assumptions:
Qvortrup #1. Social systems
overlap and interact
FOCUS:
Macro #2. Interactions
between systems
Childhood is a shape child outcomes
Permanent Structural
Category #2. The goal for the
Similar to Social Class child is competence
Structural
Perspectives

45. FOUNDED BY
BARRIE THORNE
and
James & Prout
CRITICAL
Perspectives

46. Children
RESIST domination,
both actively
and passively
CRITICAL
Perspectives

47. Some Assumptions:
#1. Children are active agents
#2. Adults have more power than children
and use it to control and dominate them
#3. Like other oppressed groups, children
will resist domination
CRITICAL
Perspectives

48. Micro-MaCRO Connections
CRITICAL
Perspectives

49. FOUNDED BY: Assumptions:
Thorne, #1. Children are active
Prout & James agents
#2. Adults have more power
FOCUS: than children and use it to
Micro-Macro control and dominate them
#2. Like other oppressed
Children groups, children will resist
RESIST domination, domination
both actively & passively
CRITICAL
Perspectives

50. USING THEORETICAL APPROACHES
Which of these theories do
Behaviorism you tend to use to explain
Socialization children’s lives/childhood?
Sometimes two theories will
Learning Theory give us two different
Interactionist perspectives on an event or
situation
Interpretive Reproduction
Sometimes different theories
Ecological will be compatible and will
expand our understanding of
Structural an event or situation
Critical How do children theorize
about their lives?

51. THE
MARSHMALLOW TEST