RSS Feed for the unit Children’s rights

Introduction

The Open University — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:10 GMT

This unit is from our archive and it is an adapted extract from Social policy: welfare, power and diversity (D218) which is no longer in presentation. If you wish to study formally at The Open University, you may wish to explore the courses we offer in this curriculum area.

This unit will help you understand the general issues of children's rights as well as exploring childhood and children's needs. It is also possible to link these ideas to the wider issue of the social construction of difference and power. The materials are primarily an audio file, originally 28 minutes in length and recorded in 1998.

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Licence

Learning outcomes

The Open University — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:10 GMT

After studying this unit you should be able to:

define the broad issue of children as citizens.

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Licence

1 Children's rights: general issues

The Open University — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:10 GMT

The audio file in this unit considers the general issues of children's rights, and the possibilities and implications of imagining children as citizens. Within the discussion, ideas about childhood and children's needs are explored. Although the programme focuses specifically on children it is possible to link to the wider issue of social construction of difference and power. Some examples are given in these notes.

This audio file was recorded in 1998 and related to a TV programme on children's rights. It is not necessary to have seen the original TV programme to gain an insight into the discussion presented in the audio file.

You can also use this audio file to help you further develop a range of study skills, such as: Identifying competing arguments and the evidence used to support them. This is a skill that is also related to the OpenLearn unit: D218_4 How arguments are constructed and used in the Social Sciences.

Participants in the audio programme were:

Esther Saraga Social Sciences Staff Tutor in the Open University's London region;
Mary McLeod Director of Policy and Research at Childline;
Ann Phoenix Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Activity 1

Try to identify for yourself, and note down, the various arguments that Mary McLeod and Ann Phoenix make about children and childhood.

The following questions will help you to structure your notes, and to make links with concepts of ‘welfare’, ‘power’ and ‘diversity’ and the theme of citizenship.

What different constructions of children and childhood are described?
What points are made about the power relations between adults and children in relation to children's rights?
What does Ann Phoenix mean when she says that ‘childhood is differentiated’? What aspects of difference are discussed, and what are the main points made in relation to each of these? Reflect on how these issues are related to processes of differentiation in compulsory education and processes of inclusion and exclusion.
Ann Phoenix suggests that, in relation to the TV programme, ‘the children were engaging as active citizens’. How does she argue for the proposition and what evidence does she cite from the programme?
Mary McLeod and Ann Phoenix have different views on ‘children as citizens’. Can you identify each of these arguments? How effectively do you think each makes her case? What points of continuity and change can you identify with nineteenth century concerns with education for citizenship?
Finally, what points are made about the implications for welfare provision, of thinking of children as active citizens rather than future citizens?

Children's rights part 1 (10.5 minutes 5 MB)

Interactive content appears here. Please visit the website to use it.

View document

Transcript

Children's rights part 2 (8.5 minutes 4 MB)

Interactive content appears here. Please visit the website to use it.

View document

Transcript

Children's rights part 3 (9 minutes 4 MB)

Interactive content appears here. Please visit the website to use it.

View document

Transcript

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Licence

Next Steps

The Open University — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:10 GMT

After completing this unit you may wish to study another OpenLearn Study Unit or find out more about this topic. Here are some suggestions:

If you wish to study formally at The Open University, you may wish to explore the courses we offer in this curriculum area:

or find out about studying and developing your skills with The Open University

or you might like to:

Post a message to the unit forum, to share your thoughts about the unit or talk to other OpenLearners
Review or add to your Learning Journal
Rate this unit

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Licence

Acknowledgements

The Open University — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:10 GMT

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Licence

This extract is taken from D218: Social policy: welfare, power and diversity, produced by the BBC on behalf of the Open University.

Unit Image

John and Melanie (nee Illingworth) Kotsopoulos: http://www.flickr.com [Details correct as of 7th December 2007]

Don't miss out

1. Join the 200,000 students currently studying with The Open University.

2. Enjoyed this? Browse through our host of free course materials on LearningSpace.

3. Or browse more topics on OpenLearn.

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Licence