Deconstructing Developmental Psychology

Gender balance in ECEC: why is there so little progress?

“…The education of young children was seen as an acceptable form of female employment because it gave women the opportunity to have a social life and a job outside the home, while still conforming to the traditional conception that women naturally take care of children (Forrester 2005). The psychological theories of attachment after World War II reinforced the 'good mother' as the ideal childcare worker (Burman 1994;Canella 1997). Professionalism in childcare was modeled after the symbolic personification of a 'loving mother' (Peeters 2008).…”

Connecting a sociology of childhood perspective with the study of child health, illness and wellbeing: introduction

“…It can be argued that this increasing interest has been stimulated by developments in the sociology of childhood. Through the 1990s a body of work emerged which criticised dominant notions of child development where children were largely depicted as immature and passive objects of socialisation (Burman 1994, Halldén 1991, James and Prout 1997, Qvortrup 1994). …”

“…It can be argued that this increasing interest has been stimulated by developments in the sociology of childhood. Through the 1990s a body of work emerged which criticised dominant notions of child development where children were largely depicted as immature and passive objects of socialisation (Burman 1994, Halldén 1991, James and Prout 1997, Qvortrup 1994.Scholars of the sociology of childhood problematised these notions of the child by theorising the ways in which childhood is socially constructed and understandings of the child vary across different sociocultural contexts. Importantly, the focus was shifted from seeing children as immature becomings on their way to adulthood to a focus on children as beings and as competent actors with a social agency of their own, not only influenced by but also influencing their social worlds (James et al 1998, James and Prout 1997, Qvortrup 1994.…”

Educational inclusion and critical neuroscience: friends or foes?

“…The importance to learning of environmental, relational or specifically social circumstances has been recognised after James and Dewey by psychology (e.g. Vygotsky 1978;Bruner 1986;Dweck 2006;Burman 2008) and education (e.g. Freire 1972;Lingard, Nixon, and Ranson 2008;Slee 2010;Allan and Harwood 2013;Daniels et al 2013).…”