Hi List
I am posting this contribution from list member Marko Lewis - who had
some difficulty getting the message through last week.
Any more comments on this one ?
Hello,
I recently completed an 5 year long MA self-designed program called
"Interdisciplinary Studies in Childhood": It may be the only such MA
curriculum in existence. I looked at childhood from as many different
disciplines as possible and from as many different angles within each
discipline as possible. Much of what I did was try and have children
themselves define childhood through their voices (contemporary,
historically and cross-culturally), telling us what they themselves
think
of childhood. My thesis focused on cross-cultural & historical views of
childhood sexuality. Certainly, in this case, the western adult view of
childhood and children has very little to do with childhood or children,
or
what children think of themselves as children.
Much of, but not all, academic investigation and popular legend is
designed
to maintain control ("cultural imposition") and is pathetically
erroneous.
As everyone knows, the adults of each cultural entity had their own
temporally unfixed ideas of what a child was, and likewise children have
their own ideas. The task of finding the "universal" child is
impossible.
It is unfortunate that hundreds of years of fifth grade "themes" have
been
tossed in the trash along with the rag-dolls and toy carts of history.
Studies, even historical ones, need to be child-centric, generated by
children themselves sort of in the Montessori manner with an adult as a
facilitator, and no claim to theory. Perhaps anthropology offers the
most
in methodology: certainly sociology and psychology do more harm than
good.
What professional life?
Marko Lewis
--
Catherine Burke
7 The Windses
Grindleford
Hope Valley
S 32 2HY
Tel: 01433 631907
Dr. Catherine Burke
Lecturer in Education: Child & Family Studies,
Bretton Hall College
West Bretton
WF4 4LG
01924 830261
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