This seminar will focus upon children and youth as both objects and subjects within societies. Beginning with consideration of the social construction of childhood, the course will examine the images, ideas, and expectations that constitute childhoods in various historical and cultural contexts. We will also consider the roles of children as social actors who contribute to and construct social worlds of their own. Specific topics to be covered include the historical development of childhood as a distinct phase of life, children's peer cultures, children and work, children's use of public spaces, children's intersectional experiences of inequality, and the effects of consumer culture upon children. Considerable attention will be given to the dynamics of the social institutions most directly affecting childhood today: the family, education, and the state.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Crosslisted Courses:

Prerequisites: Open to Juniors and Seniors who have taken any 100- or 200-level sociology course, or one of the following - EDUC 214, EDUC 215, or EDUC 216. 

Instructor: Rutherford

Distribution Requirements: SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring; Fall

Notes: Ann E. Maurer '51 Speaking Intensive Course.