BA Childhood and Youth Studies: Year 1
Please note the School of Education and Lifelong Learning will not be recruiting any more undergraduate students from 2009. For more information please see the main Undergraduate home page
In Year One there are five core modules - three of 30 and two of 15 credits:
ECY 1005 Childhood and Youth - Policies and practice
This module aims to provide a holistic overview of child and family law, its principles, philosophy and social policy frameworks and how these are used in practice with children across the age range of birth to 19 years. Students will examine the historical origins and contemporary legal and social policy frameworks from a number of different perspectives including health, education, youth justice, employment and child welfare to develop an understanding of how these policy frameworks influence and impact on service provision on children, young people and their families. A key aim for students, will be to develop an understanding of structural issues of social exclusion linked with the agenda of preventative early intervention, in order to ensure improved outcomes in education, health and child welfare. This will be linked with notions of children’s rights under UN and UK legislation, the concept of parental rights and responsibilities and the way these might be upheld. Finally, these issues will be underpinned by the understanding of ethical duties, values and responsibilities, especially directed towards children and families form diverse cultural backgrounds or facing discrimination by virtue of gender, special needs or disabilities. Students will develop a capacity in ICT for research; information gathering, presentational skills and evidence based practice.
ECY 1006 Core Perspectives (on education and childhood)
The purpose of the module is to introduce students to the ‘toolbox of disciplines’ which they will be applying to the study of childhood, youth and/or education throughout their degree programmes. There will be a focus on investigating core theoretical frameworks in relation to contemporary topics in Education and Childhood and Youth Studies. In the course of the module, students will be required to reflect on their own disciplinary backgrounds and to discuss the pros and cons of the particular perspectives.
ECY1009 Childrens Cultural Worlds
This core module aims to provide an overview of the cultural experiences of childhood and youth, highlighting variations across time and place. Students will examine historical and contemporary constructions of childhood and youth, drawing on sociological, cultural and anthropological theories, discourses and ideologies. There will be a focus on providing core theoretical frameworks for the consideration of concepts such as media representation, play and youth subcultures. In particular, students will acquire an understanding of literary and cultural theory, leading to an appreciation of the different ways of conceptualising childhood and youth. Students will develop capacity in ICT, particularly in the use of ICT for research, information handling and presentation.
and two core modules of 15 credits:
ECY 1007 Social and Educational Enquiry
This core module provides an introduction to social and educational enquiry in the Education and Childhood Studies programme, and is linked to the 15 credit core ICT module. Students will have opportunities to design their own small-scale studies, along with opportunities for using and applying the key skills in other Year 1 modules. The module aims to · provide students with an introduction to research methods in social and educational contexts, · understand how research is used in social and educational enquiry, drawing on practical examples, · utilise appropriate tools and methods in a small-scale research project, with guidance,· understand reasons, and appropriate procedures for gaining ethical consent for research,· develop a rights-based approach to conducting research with and on young people,· analyse and present findings using appropriate ICT, with guidance,· develop skills in information handling, conducting and presenting research.
ECY 1008 ICT and Learning in the 21st Century
This module will introduce students to ways in which information and communication technology (ICT) may be used for promoting and enhancing learning in formal and informal learning contexts.