Unit information: The Sociology of Childhood and Rights in 2021/22

Unit name	The Sociology of Childhood and Rights
Unit code	SOCI20078
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Okyere
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

The main aim of this unit is to introduce students to debates on, and experiences of, child rights and human rights from critical sociological perspectives. Child and human rights concerns are regularly cited in the description, pursuit and analysis of social change by academics, governments, policy makers, businesses, charities and civil society. Everyone is, in principle, in favour of child rights and human rights. Yet, ideas and practices about these rights, the nature of rights children and adults should enjoy and the nature of things which are deemed to violate these rights are subject to intense disagreements within and across cultures and societies. What accounts for these differences in opinion?

The unit assesses this question by first engaging with different theories and debates on the origins, nature and scope of human and child rights, including the meaning of childhood itself. This part of the discussions will trace the emergence of human rights and child rights, examine their related sociological theories and concepts and ideas, and grapple with critical debates on basis for / the legitimacy of the belief in human rights and child rights. Then, drawing on research studies, news reports, documentary films and case studies of phenomena such as child trafficking, forced labour, human trafficking, slavery, child labour, child prostitution and other phenomena deemed to constitute human and child rights violations, students will be given opportunities to critically interrogate the relationship between these (mal)practices on one hand and power, hegemony, globalisation citizenship, gender, class, ethnicity, migration, sexuality and other social identities on the other.

Unit Aims

• To introduce students to definitional, conceptual, theoretical and political debates on, and experiences of, child rights and human rights from critical sociological perspectives

• To equip students with skills on how to analyse, assess and communicate empirical information, media reports and information on human and child rights issues in a sociologically informed manner;

• To allow students to develop critical perspectives on how human and child rights concerns and debates are mediated by citizenship, gender, class, ethnicity, migration, sexuality, and other social identity markers

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of the socio-politically constructed nature of human and child rights;
2. Analyse, assess and communicate empirical information, media reports and information on human and child rights issues such as child trafficking, child prostitution, worst forms of child labour, forced labour, human trafficking in a sociologically informed manner;
3. Critically evaluate some of the definitional, conceptual, theoretical and political debates on human and child rights
4. Demonstrate familiarity with how debates on human and child rights are mediated by citizenship, gender, class, ethnicity, migration, sexuality, and other social identity markers

Teaching Information

The unit will be taught through blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities

Assessment Information

• Individual poster submission (25%) - tests ILOs 1, 2 & 4
• 2000 -word essay (75%) - tests ILOs 1, 2, 3 & 4

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SOCI20078).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.