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University of Winchester
Education Studies (Early Childhood Studies)
ES 2207: What is a Child?
Semester 2,
2012: Tuesdays, 3.00 - 5.00, Medecroft Annex 8.
Tutor: Emile Bojesen
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Last updated 31.01.12.
This module presents two related introductory approaches to the analysis of narrative modes of child and childhood representation. The intention is that this should be sufficient to support a range of studies that might feature in a Final Year Project. In order to make this objective more generally useful, the analysis of narrative has been broadened to encompass philosophy, literature and film.
Like all level two modules, this one should enable you to:
show engagement with primary sources;
show a knowledge of theoretical perspectives and/or works;
show an understanding of abstract concepts within theoretical perspectives;
and show an ability to work with theorists and their concepts in various forms of assessment.
Assignment 1 - (1,500 word essay):
Summarise how the ideas of Barthes and Blanchot complicate the question, 'What is a child?' with reference to the film Innocence - if you want.
DUE on Tuesday, week 7.
Assignment 2 - (2,500 word essay):
Use the grammatological tools provided in week 6 to help show how either Swift, Blake or Rousseau (choose one) present the child or childhood in their texts.
More guidance will be given in week 7.
DUE on Tuesday, week 13.
Week 1
What is a child? This question forces us to think about the child as subject: as that which experiences. This session will explore the problems of being able to designate what the child is and what its experiences are and even how it experiences.
Reading: Barthes, R. (1977) ‘Death of the author’; Image, Music, Text London: Fontana Press; pp. 142 - 148.
Week 2
Screening of Innocence
Week 3
The flipside to last week’s session is to explore the child as object, which, to simplify, is that which is experienced. How, why and by what means do we objectify the child? What uses does this objectification have and what problems does it cause?
Reading: Barthes, R. (1977) ‘Toys’, Mythologies, London: Fontana Press.
Week 4
The Community of Children
This session explores the relationship of children to the communities they grow up in, as well as the thinking of children as a community. We will think about the positives and negatives of community and why it is so important to consider when thinking about childhood and education.
Reading: Selections from: Blanchot, M. The Unavowable Community.
Week 5
Reading the ‘Real’ Child
Why is ‘reading’ such an important concept in how we consider children in general, as a group, or as singularities? What are the means by which we are able to work out what a child ‘really’ is? This session will explore the significance of the thinking of communication is to a reading of the child.
Reading: Blanchot, M. ‘Reading’ in The Space of Literature.
Week 6
Review of the first half of this module - PowerPoint and essay workshop - essay outline.
Week 7
Grammatology: Reading the Child
Reading: Ulmer, G. (1985), ‘The Scene of Teaching’ in Applied Grammatology London, John Hopkins University Press
Week 8
The Educated Child: Grammatology and Pedagogy
Reading:
Ezell, M.J.M., ‘John Locke's Images of Childhood’ here: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2738281 (use the University account to login via Athens)
Week 9
The Political Child
Reading:
Swift, J. (1729), A Modest Proposal here: http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/modest.html
Week 10
The Contrary Child
Reading:
Blake, W., both versions of ‘The Chimney Sweeper’ from Songs of Innocence (1789):
http://www.uta.edu/english/rosenberg/innocence.jpg
and Songs of Experience (1794)
http://www.uta.edu/english/rosenberg/experience.jpg
Both here with typed text: http://www.uta.edu/english/rosenberg/williamblake
Week 11
The Autobiographical Child
Reading:
Rousseau, J-J. (1782), Book 1 of Confessions: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3913/3913-h/3913-h.htm#1
Week 12
Essay clinic
