How attitudes towards studying children have evolved Essay -- Childhoo

This assignment intends to come out how attitudes towards leaseing children have been evolving over time, whilst also identifying three key principles which should be aspired to when implementing such research. A range of theoretical perspectives and methodologies shall also be explored with scrutiny on childrens personas and their involvement creation evident throughout. Researching children is in no way a new phenomenon however there has been a immense shift in paradigm which has led to increasing amounts of research being carried out with children rather than on children (Christensen and James, 2008). This could be because of the growing interest in childrens rights to participate (James and Prout, 1997), which as suggested by Okane (2008) occurred in the deep 1980s. However it is difficult to determine whether this shift in paradigm occurred as a result of natural flips in researchers attitudes or as a direct result of new legislation (2008). As at a similar time, in 1 989, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) (UNCRC ) was enforced, giving children the right to participate and be heard in matters affecting their lives. This difficulty is evident by Schaffer (1990) suggesting developmental theories have power to the full influenced policies thus indicating, as researchers knowledge on children and childhood develop attitudes and policy change. In contrast OKane (2008, p.125) states changes reflect an citation of childrens rights. Views on childhood have and remedy continue to change (Waller, 2009). The contemporary view that children are empty vessels (Skinner, 1974) is being disregarded as children are no longer perceived as passive recipients in an adult world (OKane, 2008... ...exist as if the researcher were to allow the cost to the idiosyncratic to be weighed out by the benefit towards society (ref) the whole study would be compromised with both the researcher and their research losing validity in the eye of o thers (Green, 2003). In conclusion this assignment has identified that attitudes towards studying children have and still continue to change, although it is evident attitudes are still dominated by a western perspective and some changes have been more embraced than others. The findings within this assignment support the view that children now have a participatory role within research, however it also identifies that participation is only possible if the researchers fully embrace children as competent beings and aspires to the key principles of consent, listening and responding to children and adheres to ethical codes of conduct.