Childhood is a unique period in the life of every individual. This phase is characterised by the fast evolution of all systems and mechanisms vital for an adult and his/her functioning in society. For this reason, this phase plays a crucial role in the formation of healthy behavioural patterns and a person’s ability to enjoy the high quality of his/her life. It is vital to ensure that a child has access to all necessary resources and that his/her needs are met. The issues emerging in this period might create the basis for multiple problems in the future. That is why childhood studies and child psychology are two essential fields of knowledge focusing on investigating this period and determining how to avoid adverse outcomes and create conditions for the healthy and sound development of an individual.
The child psychology perspective describes and explains children’s evolution during various stages and their transition to adulthood. For this reason, this field focuses on specific aspects that might help to acquire an enhanced understanding of a child and his/her development. These might include children thinking, feeling, and behaviour (Gjersoe, 2014). Moreover, child psychology delves into the peculiarities of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development (Gjersoe, 2014). By analysing these aspects, specialists acquire an enhanced understanding of how a person evolves and how specific behavioural patterns are formed.
Thus, a child’s cognitive development is an important aspect that is given much attention. For instance, it is vital to realise the fact that young individuals can act as researchers on their own, contributing to the sphere of psychology and other sciences (Kellett, 2005). Their inborn desire to investigate the world is a potent stimulus for them to become active researchers and discover valuable information (Kellett, 2005). This idea can help to change the view on childhood and look at it from a new perspective.
Moreover, the evolution of society contributed to shifts in the view on children and their roles in various spheres. For instance, education has always been one of the important aspects associated with children’s development. However, a new perspective on it implies considering children’s experience in education and giving them a voice to explain the major ideas and outline their needs (Kellett, 2010). This perspective alters the view on childhood as it explains the necessity of a new paradigm of relations.
The child studies perspective is another critical area of knowledge linked to the issue. It views childhood as a social construction that has specific characteristics that should be evaluated and assessed. For this reason, this perspective implies investigating the nature of children, how it evolves, and children’s rights (Montgomery, 2014). The focus on these aspects helps to understand how the concept of childhood evolves over time and speaks about the necessity of new changes to ensure children have access to necessary resources.
Modern child studies rest on the idea that children are the most valuable asset of society. At the same time, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child introduces specific aspects that impact the field (United Nations, 1989). For instance, it states that every child has a right to preserve his/her identity and interests (United Nations, 1989). It helps to look at the issue from a new perspective, as child studies should respect all rights and avoid causing harm to individuals.
At the same time, child studies help to reveal some threatening aspects that should be considered. For instance, today’s childhood might be viewed as a less idyllic time than it was in the past (Hill et al., 2009). Numerous reports outline the increased fears of bullying or inappropriate behaviours impacting children (Hill et al., 2009). For this reason, it is vital to look at childhood from a new perspective and realise whether it is becoming less happy nowadays and whether there are problems that should be addressed.
Altogether, child psychology and child studies perspectives are vital for understanding children and the role this period plays in the formation of personality and future life. These fields of knowledge focus on the peculiarities of an individual’s cognitive, physiological, and social development, children’s rights, and their place in society. At the same time, these perspectives can offer a new vision of childhood and the problems peculiar to it. For this reason, working with young individuals, it is vital to consider the peculiarities of their development and use the relevant knowledge to attain success. Otherwise, there is a high risk of poor understanding and inability to create conditions beneficial for a child’s evolution and successful transition to adulthood. The information acquired due to these two approaches to investigating childhood is essential for further studies.
Studying E102 is a perfect opportunity to acquire new information and generate valuable knowledge about children and childhood. However, it can also be considered a perfect chance to understand my own peculiarities and cogitate about them. Thus, during the course, I realised that I enjoy learning lots of new information. It is an interesting and valuable activity that is vital for my future career and personal and professional development. At the same time, I realised that I have some strong and weak aspects that require improvement, as they might prevent me from attaining goals in the future.
Speaking about my strong sides, I think I am self-disciplined in my study and have good time management skills. I think these are important skills as they create the basis for successful learning. Good self-discipline means I can focus on things that are needed at the moment and avoid being distracted by other less significant issues. At the same time, time management skills help to plan my activities to guarantee I am not late with some tasks and do not have to work without any breaks to achieve existing goals. In such a way, I think these two skills are interconnected and can be viewed as my strengths.
At the same time, I have some issues with spending too much time reading and making notes. It is an important activity helping to get access to valuable sources of knowledge. For this reason, I devote much time to it. However, I also make numerous written notes when discovering something new, and it is not the best way to generate knowledge. These notes might be lost, meaning that the time is wasted. Moreover, I think my reading skills can be improved to avoid spending too much time on it and attain higher understanding levels.
Furthermore, during the course, I realised that a student has a chance to use numerous sources to support his/her learning. First of all, these include books and peer-reviewed journals. These two types of sources are fundamental for academic activity. They provide learners with credible, relevant, and up-to-date information about the issue under investigation. For this reason, I am sure that books and journals are critical for improving my learning and generating new knowledge. They can help to address my weak aspects and, at the same time, create the basis for new achievements.
Altogether, I believe that the course was an important step in my personal and professional development. First of all, it provided me with valuable and relevant information on the subject. However, it also helped me to understand the peculiarities of my approach to learning as well as my strong and weak sides. I am good at planning, focusing on important activities, and discipline. It helps me to learn new information and process it. At the same time, I should focus on improving my reading skills and avoid making too many notes. It would help me to become a better learner and achieve new ambitious goals.
References
Gjersoe, N. (2014). What is ‘child psychology’? In L. Farrington-Flint & H. Montgomery (Eds.), An introduction to childhood studies and child psychology (pp. 29-251). The Open University.
Hill, A., Davies, C., & Hinsliff, G. (2009). Are our children really in crisis, or the victims of parents’ anxiety? The Guardian. Web.
Kellett, M. (2005). Children as active researchers: a new research paradigm for the 21st century? ESRC National Centre for Research Methods Review Papers, NCRM/003. Web.
Kellett, M. (2010). Children’s experiences of education. In K. Littleton, K. Staarman & C. Wood, C. (Eds), International handbook of psychology in education (pp. 465-498). Emerald.
Montgomery, H. (2014). What is ‘childhood studies’? In L. Farrington-Flint & H. Montgomery (Eds.), An introduction to childhood studies and child psychology (pp. 5-26). The Open University.
United Nations. (1989). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Web.