Early Childhood Education - Courses Offered

Cultural Constructions of Childhood

Ed 5062

Pam Whitty

Welcome to Cultural Constructions of Childhood:

The aim of the course is to examine various ideas of what it means to be a child and how these ideas work in the lived experience of children. The process is one of both designated and emergent curriculum.

The questions which will permeate the course readings, discussions and activities are: "What does it mean to be a child?" and "What social, economic, political and domestic conditions contribute to the cultural conditions of the lives of children and their families? "

We begin by examining our inherent and lived ideas of childhood as well as the perspectives of various cultural theorists and actual cultural texts.

We will be working with children, examining child culture inside school culture.

Required Texts:

Out of the Depths by Isabelle Knockwood Bill's New Frock by Anne Fine

Required readings as outlined in syllabus

Weekly Assignments:

"What does it mean to be a child?" and "What social, economic, political and domestic conditions affect, influence what it means to be a child? "

Readings and writings will be assigned on a weekly basis. In-class and out of class activities will complement the readings, writings and class discussions.

Weekly written and verbal feedback from the instructor and peers will form an integral part of the assignments. Please keep all written feedback.

Class attendance and participation is required. We count on your input. Please call if you are unable to attend class. A missed class will result in an additional assignment.

Mid point assignment, due on Feb. 22, will be:

A portfolio of your weekly writings and a self reflective piece (2000 words) indicating your growing understanding of what it means to be a child, the conditions influencing childhood and an analysis of how the assignments to date have affirmed, challenged, changed your understanding of childhood. Specific textual referenced to influential resources and activities form an integral par of the reflective portfolio. Consider how your learning influences your life as citizen, parent and teacher. You will need to isolate a research question from what you have learned and what you want to know more about.

Final assignment, due April 12, will be:

Another portfolio of your weekly writings and reflective piece (2000 words) as outlined above indicating your increased understanding of the cultural construction of childhood and how your work will influence you as citizen, parent and teacher.

An independent investigation of your research question to be presented in class. Your research question will arise from your weekly learning/writing/discussions. You will need to find two good articles and a cultural text on your topic. Web sites with journals on line are www.triangle.co.uk or a history of education site http://www.socsci.kunnl/ped/whp/histeduc/ or ERIC - http://ericeece.org/

On Jan. 11

Reading: Lissa Paul : from Reading Otherways Towards a New Beginning

Cultural text: 1890's magazines for children Boys Own Annual and Saint Nicholas

Girls Own Annual and Young Peoples Companion

Writing: In class: your views of what it means to be a child. What is the ideal childhood?

What is the contrary case? What is your response to these questions based on?

Review the magazines for children and jot down comments re: audience... the content...

Consider Lissa Paul's questions - p.15 from Towards a Beginning-Reading Otherways

For Jan. 18

Reading: Neil Postman - from The disappearance of Childhood - Chapter three and chapter nine: When There Were No Children" and "Six Questions"

Cultural text: Locate an artifact from an 1890's newspaper or other text that presents a contrary view to the artifacts we examined in class. Bring a copy to class with a brief point form write-up on how this article contrasts with the one you reviewed in class. Be prepared to present to your peers.

Newspapers on microfiche in Harriet Irving Library from the 1890's include: [3^rd floor - microform reader and then photocopy]

Butler's journal - 1890's July 1890- June 1895/July 1898

The Daily Gleaner - 1889 to present

The Fredericton Globe - 1889- 1895

Fredericton Herald - 1889- 1895

Reporter and The Fredericton Advertiser - 1844 - 1902

Writing: Jot down your views on Postman's thinking; your agreements, disagreements, questions

How his thesis informs your own beliefs as you articulated them in class.

For Jan. 25

Reading: Marina Warner from Managing Monsters - "Little Angels, Little Devils: Keeping Childhood Innocent"

Cultural text: Locate a contemporary prolific picture book author. Review his or her texts. Consider what views of childhood are represented? Locate a biographical or autobiographical source that illuminates this author's thinking about writing for/about children. Be prepared to present your texts and thinking to peers.

Writing: What is Warner's points/how does she make it/ what is her evidence? How does her view inform your ongoing understanding of the cultural construction of childhood?

For Feb. 1

Reading: Isabelle Knockwood Out of the Depths

Cultural text: Locate a newspaper article from the last five years re: factors influencing current childhood of first nations families.

Writing: Consider how Canada's residential schooling policy for First nations families affected the childhoods of the children Knockwood writes about. Give evidence from her text. In the final paragraph, raise questions. Comments re: current situation.

For Feb. 8

Reading: Henri Giroux "Are Disney Movies Good For Kids" from Kinderculture: The Corporate Construction of Childhood.

Cultural text: A Disney movie and the original text. Talk with a child/parent about the influences of movies on children.

Writing: Brainstorm your remembered movies from childhood and their significance to you. What is Giroux's point, do your agree? Disagree? - why? Support your view.

For Feb. 15

Reading: Stephen Kline "Marketing Toys to Children and Youth" from Out of the Garden' Toys and Children's Culture in the Age of TV Marketing

Cultural text: Locate a Child's toy. Observe how it is played with. Talk with parent, child, toy store owner ore employee re children's toys... the market.... popularity.... What does it mean?

Writing: Before writing/ reading brainstorm your remembered toys from childhood and their significance to you. What are Kline's main points? Do you agree or disagree, support your position raise questions.

For Feb. 22 Mid point assignment is due. Present to the class and receive peer feedback.

Discuss research question. Expectations of independent research project- two strong articles, cultural text, interview with a child or adult, a written piece weaving in your learning, investigated questions, remaining questions and implications for you as citizen, teacher and/or parent.

For March 1^st

Reading: Barrie Thorne - from Gender Play Girls and Boys in School Chapters 1 and 3 or chapters 4 and 6.

Cultural text: Anne Fine's Bill's New Frock In class study of soccer baseball site.

Writing: Before reading recall your playground experiences. Map out the playground of your childhood marking where you played, with whom and what. Interview a child about their activies on the playground.

What points does Barrie Thorne make? Do you agree? Disagree? Support your position. How does Anne Fine's book connect with Barrie Thorne's research?

March 8 - March Break

For March 15

Reading: Be prepared to present and lead a discussion on one of your articles for your independent project to your peers. You will need to share the author's key points and how they connect with your learning to date.

Karen Gallas - Chapter 4 "Bad" Boys in the Classroom from The Languages of Learning How children Talk, Write, Dance, Draw, and Sing Their Understanding of the World.

Cultural text: Lion and Landscaper chapter to be looked at in class.

Writing: What points does Karen Gallas make in her chapter? Do you agree or disagree? Support. Raise your own questions.

For March 22

Readings: Be prepared to present and lead a discussion on one of your articles for your independent project to your peers. You will need to share the author's key points and how they connect with your learning to date.

Anne Haas Dyson - from Writing Superheroes Contemporary Childhood, Popular Culture, and Classroom Literacy Introduction, chapters 2 and 3.

Cultural text: Observe children writing in a writing class.

Writing: What are Dyson's points? Do you agree or disagree? Support. What questions do you have?

For March 29

Reading: M. Dressman Lionizing lone wolves: The Cultural Romantics of literary workshops. from Curriculum Inquiry

Timothy Lensmire - Rewriting Student Voice

Cultural text: Playground poem to be read and discussed in class.

Writing: What points do these authors make about the constructed culture of writing workshops? Do your agree or disagree? Support your positions. What questions are raise for you?

For April 5

Reading: Valerie Walkerdine Violent Boys and Precocious Girls: regulating childhood at the end of the millennium.

Cultural text: Locate cultural images of children in present day. Create a collage to bring to class for discussion purposes.

Writing: What points Does Walkerdine make? Do your agree? Disagree? Support? Raise your own questions.

For April 12 Presentation of final projects and final portfolio. We will discuss the procedure of presenting in class.

Comments to: eccentre@unb.ca Last update: 2005/05/7