units

EDF4031

Faculty of Education

18 September 2017 20 April 2024

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This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

Monash University

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Education

Coordinator(s)

Ms Corinna Peterken (City); Dr Clare Hall (Peninsula)

Offered

Peninsula

  • First semester 2016 (Day)

City (Melbourne)

  • Term 1 2016 (On-campus block of classes)

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to the sociology of childhood and critical childhood studies as important disciplinary fields of their work. Particular emphasis is given to children's participation and contribution as a socio-political issue. Students engage with critical ethnography as a method for research to investigate a range of issues in relation to contemporary childhood. Sociological research questions are raised including questions about children's identity, belonging to and participation in communities, gender, environmental issues and diversity. Students engage with notions of local and global citizenship from sociological perspectives to critically reflect on children's role in society. With a focus on the present and future, students are encouraged to investigate how early years education providers are responding to the critical issues raised in the unit.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. demonstrate an understanding of the sociology of childhood and critical childhood studies as important disciplinary fields that inform their work
  2. develop research questions to critically examine sociological issues, such as children's identity, belonging, participation, gender, environmental issues and diversity
  3. demonstrate the capacity to begin to research childhood using critical ethnography
  4. critically reflect on and engage with critical issues in the context of early years' provision.

Assessment

Literature review: sociology of childhood (1500 words, 40%)
Research task: design a proposal for research in sociology of childhood issues in local community contexts (2500 words equivalent, 60%)

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 144 hours per semester comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

  • 2 contact hours per week

(b.) Requirements for on-campus block City-based students:

  • two intensive weekend blocks
  • at least 4 hours of active online engagement in Moodle activities per term

(c.) Additional requirements:

  • independent study to make up the minimum required hours per week

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Clare Hall

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Early years education