Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 11:07
Historians concur that ideas about the nature of children and the place of childhood have changed over time. This course explores both how modern societies have understood childhood and the way in which this has shaped the treatment of young people. It places a particular focus upon how ideas and understandings of childhood have spanned regional and national borders, as well as the ways in which the concept of youth has been adapted to suit new cultural contexts.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Since 1989 the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has marked out the cultural, economic, religious, and political rights of children. Consisting of 54 articles, the CRC testifies to the contested nature of childhood and the disparate ways it can be understood. Historians interested in childhood have underscored its subjective nature; Hugh Cunningham has spoken of the ‘invention of childhood’, while Philippe Ariès has suggested that childhood has a history. This course adopts a thematic approach to explore the depiction and treatment of children since c.1800.
This course draws on a wealth of new scholarship that seeks to enrich (even reorientate) our understanding of past societies by placing a focus upon children. Over the course we will consider how ideas and understandings of childhood have spanned regional and national borders. With a particular focus on Britain, content will also consider the treatment and portrayal of children in nations including Australia, Canada, and India. Adopting an intersectional approach, students will examine the ways in which disability, gender, and race have mapped onto beliefs about children in different societies. The course will explore an array of topics, including child emigration initiatives, institutions for children with disabilities, and ‘re-education’ programmes for indigenous children. Students will consider the varying ways childhood has been framed and utilised, exploring literary tropes such as the child-oracle, the orphan, and the waif.
Students taking this course will work with a variety of sources. These are likely to include ego-documents (autobiographies, diaries, letters), newspapers, promotional literature (magazines and pamphlets), institutional material (annual reports and committee minutes), images (photographs and portraits), and videos (promotional films and advertisements).
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 12 | Feedback Weeks | 14 | |
| Feedback |
Word Count: 1,000 Students will choose a primary source from those provided. Feedback will be returned online. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Demonstrate an ability to construct and sustain arguments using a variety of primary and secondary material. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Demonstrate an ability to work with and analyse a variety of different sources, recognising their usefulness and potential limitations. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 16 | Feedback Weeks | 18 | |
| Feedback |
Students will compose their own question in consultation with the course co-ordinator. Feedback will be returned online. |
Word Count | 1000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Demonstrate an ability to construct and sustain arguments using a variety of primary and secondary material. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Demonstrate a command of and the ability to engage critically with scholarly literature in the field. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Show an understanding of how ideas about children, as well as experiences of childhood, have changed or endured over time. |
| Factual | Understand | Be aware of key legal, social, and religious developments that have shaped the place of children in different societies |
| Procedural | Analyse | Demonstrate an ability to work with and analyse a variety of different sources, recognising their usefulness and potential limitations. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 20 | Feedback Weeks | 24 | |
| Feedback |
The exam will feature both essay questions and gobbet analyses. The take-home exam will take place during the agreed departmental/School open period. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Demonstrate an ability to construct and sustain arguments using a variety of primary and secondary material. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Demonstrate a command of and the ability to engage critically with scholarly literature in the field. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Show an understanding of how ideas about children, as well as experiences of childhood, have changed or endured over time. |
| Factual | Understand | Be aware of key legal, social, and religious developments that have shaped the place of children in different societies |
| Procedural | Analyse | Demonstrate an ability to work with and analyse a variety of different sources, recognising their usefulness and potential limitations. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
As a level 4 special subject, there are no resit arrangement in place. Students with extenuating circumstances will be dealt with on a case by case basis. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Demonstrate a command of and the ability to engage critically with scholarly literature in the field. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Show an understanding of how ideas about children, as well as experiences of childhood, have changed or endured over time. |
| Factual | Understand | Be aware of key legal, social, and religious developments that have shaped the place of children in different societies |
| Procedural | Analyse | Demonstrate an ability to work with and analyse a variety of different sources, recognising their usefulness and potential limitations. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Demonstrate an ability to construct and sustain arguments using a variety of primary and secondary material. |
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