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for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Children in a Global Context |
| Unit code |
SPOL32008 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
H/6
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
|
| Unit director |
Dr. Aghtaie |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Description including Unit Aims
This unit will examine childhood in an international context. It applies a child rights framework to describe and discuss the current situation of children around the world. There will be a focus on the interaction between poverty and the economic and social rights accorded to women and children.
Teaching will be topic based, considering for example:
- Conceptualisation and measurement of child poverty and wellbeing
- Children and a developing world (globalisation, labour, migration, trafficking)
- Children made vulnerable by conflict, disability, orphans or street-dwelling
- The rights of children to basic services (health and nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation)
- The rights to education and play
- The place of children and child rights in development programmes
- Children's perspectives on their lives and rights
Lectures and seminars will be supplemented with a biweekly mandatory film group showing portrayals of children's lives from different parts of the world currently and historically.
Aims:
- To present a child centred view of international development
- To introduce students to the notion of children’s agency
- To give students an informed view of the global context for childhood
- To explain the interchanges between policy areas
- To illustrate the multiple contexts for a happy childhood
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course students will:
- Be familiar with the UNCRC
- Be familiar with the impacts on children of topics covered
- Understand debates about the conceptualisation and measurement of child poverty
- Be aware of the scope and nature of international development programmes aimed at improving child wellbeing
- Have experience of using indicators of child wellbeing
Teaching Information
Lectures, seminars and student led study.
Assessment Information
Formative assessment: 2,000 word essay using the State of the World’s Children (current edition each year) focussing on a topic set each year and using student’s quantitative skills.
Summative assessment: Timed essay following students’ own study. Students will be asked to research one subject covered in the course and complete a complete a timed essay under supervision.
Reading and References
- Adamson, P., Bradshaw, J., Hoelscher, P. and Richardson, D. (2007) Child Poverty in Perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries, Innocenti Report Card, vol. 7, Unicef Innocenti Research Centre, Florence, Italy.
- Gordon D, Nandy S, Pantazis C, Pemberton S, Townsend P (2003), Child Poverty in the Developing World, Bristol: Policy Press.
- UNICEF, State of the World’s Children Report (2000 to 2008).
- Ben-Arieh, A. and H. Wintersberger (eds.): 1997, Monitoring and Measuring the State of Children – Beyond Survival, Eurosocial Report No. 62 (European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Vienna, Austria).
