| Unit name | Childhoods in a Global Context |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL30089 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Twum-Danso Imoh |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The binary between childhoods in the Global South and those in the Global North has long dominated the framing of discussions around childhoods that go beyond national boundaries. Such a binary can be useful in explaining children’s lives from a global perspective, not least because of the important differences that exist between much of these two worlds. However, it is also important to acknowledge that such a framing of global childhoods is limiting. This is as a result of historical developments and the intensification and uneven spread of global processes which have not only resulted in stark differences between these two world areas, but also within each world area. Therefore, there is a need to identify alternative framings in studying global childhoods which allow us to acknowledge the differences that do exist in the lives of many children across the two worlds and gain insights into the layered levels of nuance that can be seen when we start examining the plurality of childhoods that can be identified in each world area.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit builds on and broadens knowledge and skills around the social constructions of childhood that students will have engaged with as part of year 1 unit, Constructing Childhoods. The unit's strong global and international focus, as well as content on the sociology of childhood, means it links well with other year 1 units such as Contemporary Debates in a Global Context and Education, Schooling and Diversity. It also links with and complements third year unit, ‘Children's Rights’, with its focus on the legal status of children around the World. In terms of academic skills, the unit’s focus on policy complements and builds on skills students will have developed in the Year 2 unit ‘Introduction to Child and Adolescent Health’.
Overview of Content
This unit will adopt sociological, anthropological and social policy approaches to explore conceptualisations of childhood, child development and children’s rights within global processes, policies and programmes and examine how these interact with the reality of the lives of different groups of children in both the Global North and Global South. In doing this it will problematise the binary between the Global North and the Global South as it will not only illuminate differences between childhoods in the North and South, but it will also underscore areas of synergy in children’s lives by exploring the childhoods of different groups of children in each world area.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students who take this unit will have further enhanced their awareness of theoretical concepts relating to childhoods and the realities of children’s lives across the world. They will have an in-depth understanding of case studies and context about how global social policy intersects with children’s lives in contexts in both the Global North and the theGlobal South. Students will develop a more holistic understanding of childhoods in the Global South and Global North, and this may challenge stereotypes held about different childhood experiences in both world areas. A more holistic understanding of the lives of individuals in contexts in the Global South will be especially useful to students who plan to pursue career and life opportunities that involve working with people who have diverse backgrounds and childhood experiences.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit you will be able to:
Teaching will mainly be delivered through lectures and seminars/workshops. Learning will also involve reading, assessment completing practical activities and self-directed exercises. Narrated PowerPoint presentations and other forms of online content may also be used.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
The formative assessment for this unit will be centred around tasks undertaken in preparation for, or ahead of, seminars and the facilitated study group sessions (workshops). These activities will directly inform the portfolio tasks required as part of the summative assignment. In seminars you will be given feedback on your individual and group work to support them in their summative assignment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Portfolio (3000 words maximum, 100%)
This assessment covers all unit ILOs.
When assessment does not go to plan
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, you may be offered an opportunity for reassessment. This will comprise a task of the same format as the original assessment. Some of the tasks do have group input activity, however all the work submitted is individual and can be undertaken individually if necessary for reassessment.
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. SPOL30089).
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 University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
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. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
