Throughout the module, there’s an emphasis on children’s and young people’s own perspectives, as well as their rights. You’ll be encouraged to challenge common assumptions about childhood and youth, thinking about where information comes from and how ideas about childhood are developed. The module asks you to consider everyday aspects of children’s and young people’s lives and contexts that might otherwise be taken for granted.
The module is made up of four online study blocks, each focused around a key theme.
Block 1: Bodies and minds
The first block looks at how children and young people experience their identities and shape their own worlds. You’ll learn about the importance of everyday items like food and toys as they affect children’s fluid and changing identities. This study block explores different ways of thinking about children’s bodies, and how gender affects children’s lives.
Block 2: Space, place and belonging
In Block 2, the focus shifts to the physical and social environments around the child. It looks at everyday places and everyday violence experienced by children across the world, and different ways that adults intervene in children's and young people’s lives internationally. You’ll also consider the meanings and purposes of play and schooling.
Block 3: Inequalities and inclusion
This block explores different forms of inequality in the context of children and young people’s lives. You’ll think about ideas of ‘normality’ and otherness, exploring questions of poverty, disability and educational inequalities.
Block 4: Childhood: past, present and future
The final block looks at developing ideas of childhood and youth across history, including changing models of health and wellbeing. You’ll think about how childhood is changing in the context of new technologies and climate change, what the future looks like for children and young people, and how they are working to change it.
It’s designed for anyone interested in the interdisciplinary field of childhood and youth studies, including those who work with children and young people or wish to enter this field.
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
This module includes a module website made up of a series of online study weeks and a module book. Each learning guide will support your though your studies. The online learning guides include a range of newly produced audiovisual material, and are accompanied by a specially produced module reader with chapters written by a range of experts in childhood and youth studies.
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
E232 is a compulsory module in our:
E232 is an option module in our:
Exploring childhood and youth (E232) starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2027.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
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If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
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Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
