University of the West of England

MODULE SPECIFICATION

Code: UPSNQP-30-3 Title: Childhood Disorder and Disordered Childhood

Version: 1

Level: 3 UWE credit rating: 30 ECTS credit rating: 15

Module type: Standard

Owning Faculty: SSH Field: Sociology and Criminology

Valid from: September 2009 Discontinued from:

Contributes towards: Awards up to BA/BSc (Hons)

Pre-requisites: None

Co-requisites: None

Excluded combinations: None

Learning outcomes:

On completion of the module students are expected to demonstrate:

    1. A critical understanding of the impact of childhood disorder/disordered childhood on children, families, society and policy, (Components A and B)

    2. A sociological and psychosocial understanding of a variety of theoretical approaches to childhood disorder/disordered childhood, (Components A and B)

    3. A critical appreciation of the variety and complexity of issues (sociological, methodological, ethical, and political) raised by the study of childhood disorder/disordered childhood, (Components A and B)

    4. The ability to locate contemporary social and therapeutic practices involved in working with disordered children within a broad theoretical framework of understanding, (Components A and B)

    5. Research and presentation skills, (Component B, elements 1 and 2)

    6. The ability to present material to a group, take part in discussions and make use of feedback, (Component B, elements 1 and 2)

    7. An ability to develop and present a coherent, analytical, well reasoned argument in essay form. (Component B, element 3)

Syllabus outline:

Disordered childhood and late modernity - The ‘normal’ disorders of childhood

Family ‘disorganisation’, divorce, fatherlessness and loss

The child as consumer, the child as sexual subject

The medicalisation of ‘disorder’ and controversies in diagnosis

Paranoid parenting and the over-regulation of childhood

Therapeutic responses to childhood disorder

Psychoanalysis and children

Attachment Theory

Family Therapy

Inter-generational transmission of trauma

    From child guidance clinics to CAMHS & SureStart – children and families as objects of intervention

Child abuse and its consequences

    Incidence, prevalence and aetiology of child abuse

    Child as victim, child as offender

    Public and policy responses to child abuse

Case studies in childhood disorder/disordered childhood

In this part of the syllabus issues will be selected by students and will become the basis of Problem Based Learning presentations and assignments. Students will be invited to select an issue and examine it at three levels:

    1. Sociological dimensions

    2. Therapeutic dimensions

    3. Social policy dimensions

The following list is indicative.

    • ADHD, dyslexia, autism and Asperger’s syndrome

    • Children, anxiety and depression

    • Eating disorders

    • Psychosomatic illness

    • Children who kill

    • Bullying

    • Learning disability

    • Delinquency

    • Childhood obesity

    • ‘Looked–after’ children

    • Bereavement in childhood

    :

Teaching and learning methods:

These are designed to meet a range of learning strategies;

    1. Group tutorials are central to learning, teaching and assessment in this module: these will include problem-based learning (PBL) groups as subsets; also

    2. workshops, designed to facilitate the practical application of sociological principles and precepts,

    3. directed tasks, including those based on reading in preparation for seminars;

    4. Lectures are essential for giving an overview of syllabus topics, as necessary:

    5. e-learning resources as appropriate, including the use of UWEonline.

In addition, resources allowing, there will be an opportunity for interested students to visit the Mulberry Bush School and for sessions at UWE facilitated by the MBS Training Department.

Reading Strategy:

Students will be encouraged to read widely using a variety of bibliographic and full text databases, and Internet resources. Guidance to some key authors and journal titles available through the Library will be given on Blackboard. There are some excellent books published in this subject area. Students will be encouraged to buy at least one book. A list of recommended titles will be provided in the Module Handbook and updated annually.

Indicative Reading List:

The following list is offered to provide validation panels/accrediting bodies with an indication of the type and level of information students may be expected to consult. As such, its currency may wane during the life span of the module specification. However, as indicated above, CURRENT advice on readings will be available via other more frequently updated mechanisms.

Corsaro, W.(2005). The Sociology of Childhood. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

Emanuel, L. & Bradley, B. (2008) What Can the Matter Be? Therapeutic Interventions with Parents Infants and Young Children. London: Karnac Books.

Furedi, F (2001) Paranoid Parenting, Allen Lane.

Jenks, Chris (2005) (ed.): Childhood (2nd edition), London: Routledge.

Geissman, C and Geissman P (1997) A History of Child Psychoanalysis, London: Routledge.

Prout, A. (2005) The Future of Childhood. Towards the Interdisciplinary Study of Children, London: Routledge Farmer.

Prout, A. and Hallett, Ch. (Eds.) (2003): Hearing the Voices of Children: Social Policy for a New Century, London: Routledge Farmer.

Qvortrup, J. et al. (Eds.) (1994): Childhood Matters. Social Theory, Practice and Politics. Aldershot: Avebury Publishing.

Postman, N (1982 ) The Disappearance of Childhood, Allen Lane.

Turmel, A.(2008) A Historical Sociology of Childhood, Cambridge University Press.

Winnicott, DW (1971) Therapeutic Consultations in Child Psychiatry, London: Hogarth Press.

Assessment

Weighting between components A and B A: 25% B: 75%

ATTEMPT 1

First Assessment Opportunity

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

Seen exam (1.5 hours, case study material) 25%

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

Element 1 Group presentation of PBL Task 25%

Element 2 Individual report on PBL Task (2000 words) 25%

Element 3 Essay (2000 words) 25%

Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes is not required)

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

Seen exam (1.5 hours, case study material) 25%

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

Element 1 Research project (2000 words) 25%

Element 2 Viva on research project 25%

Element 3 Essay (2000 words) 25%

.

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT: Attendance at taught classes is not required.

Specification confirmed by ………………… Date ……………………………

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