Social Construction of Childhood

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1. Introduction

Social constructionism gives meaning to phenomenon in social context and connections between culture and society build up realities in their circumstances. The studies of this idea have been conducted more than thirty years by a number of North American, British and continental writers (Burr, 1995). However, in childhood studies this notion appears later on. It is mostly held universally, childhood is a stage that biologically existing in human life in early years. It should be considered this childhood is constructed in the society. As a social being, it brings into the mind the relationship between society and child, inevitably. However, the dominant understanding of childhood attributes biological and social development, as figurative symbols of developmental progress (James&Prout, 1997), but rediscovery of childhood in sociology is reviewed children as social constructions rather than dependent and passive natural category (Corsaro, 1997). Prout and James (1997, p. 8) gives key properties for future of developments in childhood sociology which points “childhood is understood as a social construction and appears as a specific structural and cultural component of many societies”.

There are many debates about the journey from the developmental psychology to sociology in childhood studies. Piaget and Vygotsky take part in developmental psychology destination which Vygotsky’s pioneering studies in related to social influences supports the idea of social constructionism. From constructivist view to social constructivist view recent perspectives argue reciprocation between social life and children. In order to clarify these interactions, family institution -as an intensive role player- sets a good example. Children...

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...Piaget-Vygotsky: The social Genesis of Thoughts. Psychology Press: Hove, East Sussex

Tudge, J.R.H. and Barbara, R. (1989) ‘Peer Influences on Cognitive Development: Piagetian and Vygotskian Perspectives’. In M. Bornstein / Jerome S. Bruner, ed. Interaction in Human Development. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, pp.17-40.

Tudge J. R.H. and Winterhoff, P. A. (1993) ‘Vygotsky, Piaget, and Bandura: Perspectives on the Relations between the Social World and Cognitive Development’. Human Development, 36 (2): 61-81

Van der Veer, R. (2007) ‘Lev Vygotsky’. Continuum International Publishing Group: London

Vygotsky, Lev. (1962). ‘Thought and language’. MIT Press: Cambridge, MA

Vygotsky, Lev. (1978). ‘Mind and society: The development of higher mental processes’. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA

Wyse, Dominic. (2004) ‘Childhood studies: an introduction’. Blacwell: Oxford

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