Childhood sociology and interpretative reproduction: a round model of child development

Abstract

The sociology of childhood (SC), a discipline that emerged in the late 1980s on the European theoretical scene, conceives the child as a social actor and childhood as a social construction. With this perspective, it goes against traditional theories of socialization, especially driven by developmental psychology, which conceive child development as individual, linear, natural and universal. William Corsaro, a sociologist of childhood, proposes the concept of “interpretative reproduction” as a substitute for socialization, as well as the round model of child development, with an emphasis on children’s social actions. The SC, in this sense, proposes a new paradigm for the social studies of childhood, with concepts, methods and ethical concepts for conducting research with children. This article aims to discuss the concept of interpretative reproduction, presenting the trajectory of its development and its criticisms of the traditional concept of socialization. Furthermore, it briefly discusses the importance and criticism that this concept and that of the social actor receive due to the way they have been used in research in the field of education.