Thinking about children: How does it influence policy and practice?

Abstract

Childhood studies and sociocultural theory, together with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, have influenced policy and practice initiatives, both within New Zealand and internationally. The integration of children’s agency, rights, and well-being provides a conceptual framework for positioning children as participating subjects, knowers, and social actors, rather than as the passive objects of socialization. Children are now considered to be people who can make a difference and contribute to creating their own futures and to sustaining their families, schools, and communities. Children’s ability to express their views and exercise responsibility is influenced by their social and cultural contexts and the extent to which there is space and support for their participation. Sociocultural contexts play an important part in inducting children into shared meanings, values, and practices and enabling children to participate and learn. This chapter highlights three specific examples of NewZealand’s social policy and professional practice to explore howcontemporary conceptions of childhood can influence children’s rights and well-being – (1) early childhood education, (2) the abolition of physical punishment, and (3) ascertaining children’s views in family law proceedings.