NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1021340
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0300-4279
EISSN: N/A
Childhood in Crisis? Perceptions of 7-11-Year-Olds on Being a Child and the Implications for Education's Well-Being Agenda
Adams, Kate
Education 3-13, v41 n5 p523-537 2013
Notions of a good childhood are inextricably linked with well-being. Both concepts are central to a contentious debate about the quality of childhood in the UK, which is partly situated within the "childhood in crisis" discourse which opponents claim is overstated. This study contributes to the debate by hearing the voices of children as co-constructors of their own childhood. Perceptions of childhood were collected through semi-structured group interviews with 56 children aged 7-11 in a school in an economically deprived town in east England. Children spontaneously identified childhood in a positive way. Further questioning was required to explore the negative aspects. Childhood was mostly considered preferable to adulthood which was deemed tedious and stressful although children also identified advantages to being older. Implications for primary schools' well-being agenda, and the place of the school in shaping childhood, are discussed.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A