What you will study
This online module will be attractive to anyone with an interest in and concern for children and young people, including those who work with children and/or young people and who want to learn more about contemporary theories and research from a range of different disciplines that help us to understand children, childhoods and youth. The module draws on research and theories from childhood and youth studies and psychology. This interdisciplinary perspective is broader than mainstream psychology or childhood/youth modules. It is designed to introduce you to different ways of thinking about the influences on children’s and young people’s lives and their development. This module is divided into four blocks, each comprising 5-6 weeks of supported study. A 14-chapter book, An Introduction to Childhood and Youth Studies and Psychology (eds. Cooper & Tatlow-Golden, 2023), accompanies the module, and every student receives both a physical copy and a PDF.
Block 1 introduces childhood and youth studies and psychology. The units consider some of the complex influences that shape children’s and young people’s development, including their embodied experiences and how their lives are explored and understood through research.
Block 2 considers social and emotional development, spanning the development of the self (Or the answer to the question, ‘who am I?’); the role of diverse families in children and young people’s lives; the many factors that influence how we can understand and support children and young people’s mental health and psychological wellbeing; and the role of learning, schooling and education in children and young people’s lives.
Block 3 addresses aspects of diversity in contemporary childhoods and youth. It introduces ideas about the social and cultural ideologies of childhood and how these can affect children and young people’s lives. It considers core issues of disability, race, global childhoods with a focus on the global South, and gender in children and young people’s lives.
Block 4 discusses transitions and change in childhood and youth. The units consider children and young people’s new ‘hybrid’ digital lives as well as the transition from childhood and youth through adolescence and into adulthood.
In addition to the book, there are weekly interactive online activities throughout the module to support your learning. The audio and video resources have been specifically designed, recorded, filmed, and written to support the book and expand your insights. They help explain some of the key concepts and theories that the module teaches. They also include personal accounts from experts, parents, and children and young people themselves on important topics so that you can link ideas about childhood and youth with ‘real life’ issues.