Childhood Studies is all about 'child centred' research. It looks at what it is like to be a child in today's society and how the world looks from their point of view. Childhood studies focuses on what children have to say, what their opinions are. This is to have a better understanding of them.
It is argued that children are not 'passive, weak and dependent' but instead are seen as 'social actors' who have 'agency'. They can make an impact on their own and others’ lives and are viewed as capable members of society who can understand and make decisions on things that affect them. It focuses on the things children are capable of rather than the things they are unable to do. Agency allows policies and procedures to be enhanced, for example Alison Clark and Peter Moss’s Mosaic Approach.
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Childhood does not mean the same thing to everyone, opinions on childhood are formed by societies and people who recognise a specific stage of life and give it meaning. This means that 'cross culturally' children will lead very different lives as their parents have different ideas on what they need. It is believed that children's development can be affected by social and cultural points of view. Culture can play a part in how children think and behave.
There are two long-established ideas of how children have been viewed in the past that still play a part in today’s culture. These are known as the Puritan view and the Romantic view. The Puritan view sees children as sinful and should be punished considerably. The Romantic view however sees children as pure and innocent from birth but tainted by adults and society. How we view children influences how we care for