Constructions of childhood can affect intervention

Constructions of puerility postful affect interventionImproving Childrens LivesIn this assignment I will endeavour to comp ar three major approaches of intervention in electric razorrens lives and the authority in which expectants constructions of infanthood can affect intervention. I will initiall(a)y describe the three major approaches to intervention and examine the various beliefs that were submissive in the development of these approaches. I will also discuss the benefits and drawbacks of separately of these three approaches in regards to intervention. To conclude, I will discuss my opinion regarding the chief is a arights ground approach, especially one which promotes infant pgraphicsicipation, the trounce itinerary of improving childrens lives?Why do crowings tonus the need to intervene in childrens lives? Childhood is a status which is recognised world-wide and by many, if non all, of the worlds religions. These religions perplex through-out history called for adults to protect children from harm, for example Christianity, Islamic teaching and Buddhism (The Open University, Ch5, Pg.188) thither ar three major reasons why adults bump it is in the childs best interest for adults to intervene in childrens lives and these reasons save transpired through the different ship representation adults study constructed childishness. Some adults view childishness as a defenseless plosive during which children need protecting, otherwises view childhood as an investment, that by investiture in childrens lives adults are in fact investing in prospective society as a whole, and some view children as citizens who fork out rights and a claim on resources. Some of the earliest interventions in childrens lives stem from the construction of children as vulnerable and in need of adult rescue. The amatory discourse, a belief that children are innocent, vulnerable, mogulless and in need of adult defense was instrumental in the follow outati on of former(a) childrens charities such as Barnardos (founded in 1866) and Save the Children (founded in 1919.) These charities portrayed children as poor dupes of status in need of rescue. (The Open University, Ch5, Pg.195) There humanitarian response was touch on with their lack of basic necessities such as food and shelter they were often less interested in wider policy-making issues of poverty. Although this type of intervention does plump in the short-term, for example, hungry children are fed and homeless children are abandoned shelter, unfortunately it does not rattling deal with the real issues, the underlying coiffe of poverty and suffering. The Open University states that by conceptualising the child as a victim in need of rescue can decontexualize the social, economic, and political circumstances of child-suffering and does null to bring about greater social equality or to take over the root cause of poverty.(The Open University, Ch5, Pg.205)Therefore a new app roach to childhood intervention was required. During the 1960s and 70s in that respect was a move away from constructing children as passive victims, to a new approach which constructed children as an investment for the futurity society or human capital. It was now call upd that by providing children with the right resources during the early years would enable children to shape productive citizens in the future. (The Open University, Ch5, Pg.206) foreman Start, one of the stolon early childhood development projects was follow throughed in 1965 in the US as part of President Lyndon Johnsons war on poverty. The Head Start programmes aim was to create poorer children an educational boost in the early years, so that they would be able to compete with middle relegate children when they arrivedatschool.(The Open University, Ch5, Pg.209) To this day many early years intervention programmes are fundamentally about providing all children with the chance to enter society with a fair chance to succeed. There is no doubt that investing in the early years benefits many children by providing children with stronger foundations in the areas of health and education, tho it does control limitations. Unfortunately this type of intervention does not benefit all children, for example, the programmes still target children below the advance of five, funding is controlled by governments and is only allocated to areas considered in need. Therefore assistance is not available for all children. deep there has been a move towards a rights based approach, constructing children as important contributors to society, citizens with rights. A rights based approach is one which recognizes all children regardless of age as right bearing citizens. The first specific childrens rights document was the 1994 geneva Declaration which was followed by the 1994 Declaration of Human Rights and, the 1959 United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child. These documents constructed child ren as weak and dependent on adults and they did not have the power to actually protect children, although they were instrumental in bringing to the attention of the world childrens demand and their value to society. In 1989 an international human rights treaty called the United Nations collection on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was introduced. This treaty applies to all children and juvenile people decrepit 17 and under and was the first to take a childrens rights based approach. The UNCRC is set-apart into 54 articles which adds children and young people with a set of comprehensive rights. These articles give children social, economic, cultural and political rights while others set out how governments moldiness implement the UNCRC. The UNCRC states in article 12 that, all children and young people must be listened to, and have their opinions taken seriously in all decision-making that affects them. (clause 12, UNCRC) This leads us to conflict. Participation is a way throu gh which children are recognised in an adult society as right-bearing citizans. Gerison Lansd deliver defined amour as children winning part in and influencing process, decisions, and activities that affect them, in order to achieve greater note for their rights. (The Open University, Reading, Pg.273) In brief, union is about adults genuinely auditory modality to children and young adults and taking their views into account when dealing with issues that effect them. The UNCRC does not understandably express that children have a right to participate, although when read together with other articles there is a strong indication towards participation. For example, term 12 grants all person aged 17 and under the right to express their views, and to have these views given due weight in all matters affecting them. article 17 gives children and young people the right to receive, seek and give instruction. Article 13 gives every child the right to freedom of expression, using words , writing, art and any other media so long as they respect the rights of others. Article 23 gives disabled children and young people the right to active participation in their community. And Article 2 requires all the rights in the Convention on the Rights of the Child to be implemented for every child, without discrimination. (UNCRC, http.unicef.org/crc/cc.htm, entrywayed 3/9/05)For participation to work, children and young adults in many cases have to work together with adults and organisations. Children and young people need recover to services that will provide them with information and support enabling them to perplex knowledgable and confident of their rights. In many countries adults provide support in the form of childrens rights commissioners. Gerison Lansdown stated in audio recording 8, tie 5 that it is very important that we establish childrens rights commissioners. Children as a constituency have no vote, very limited access to the courts, very limited access to th e media, and therefore theyre not able to exercise the kind of democratic rights that adults are able to exercise.(The Open University, Audio 8 Band 5, 343) Norway was the first country to introduce this system in 1981 and since then other countries have followed in their footsteps. UNICEF states that the childrens rights commisioners role is to seek greater justice for the children both by improving access to existing rights and by promoting the recognition of human rights not yet embodied in legislation, culture or day-to-day commit in childrens lives. (The Open University, Ch5, Pg.215). By support participation adults do not surrender all decision-making power to children, instead they encourage children to take much responsibility in decision making. Although in many situations, adults still determine the final decision based on the best interests of the child or young adult, but this decision should be informed by the views of the child or young adult. The UNCRC states that children should be given more than responsibility harmonize to their evolving capacities (UNCRC, Article 5) meaning that as children develop adults should give them more and more responsibility regarding decisions that affect them. The role of a childrens rights commissioner is a difficult one, as they have to balance childrens rights to participation, with childrens rights of being protected. Peter Clarke, a childrens rights commissioner, discussed this issue of protection v participation and his way of dealing with these situations in Audio 8 band 5 There may be situations where my view of whats in the best interests of children and young people is different from that being expressed by the young people themselves who I consult with about things. (The Open University, Audio 8, Band 5, 1754) Clarke believes that his role as a childrens rights commissioner is to go out front and make the childrens and young peoples opinion public even if his opinion is different but then to also make public his own adult perspective on the subject alongside the childrens. As with any political regime the issue of childrens rights to participation are part of a eonian ongoing debate. There are many benefits regarding the use of participation It is believed that the value of democracy, such as respect for the rights and dignity of all people, for their diversity and their right to participate, are best learned in childhood and that by encouraging children and young adults to view their opinions and beliefs allows them to learn constructive ways of influencing the world roughly them, preparing them for their stake in the future. The use of participation may also champion children protect themselves, children who are repressed or discouraged from expressing their views may be interject more at risk or vulnerable and accept situations which mistreat their rights, where as children who are encouraged to discuss and express themselves may become more capable or chargeed to c hallenge any situations which shame their rights. In this way participation can be seen to be actively protecting children and young adults. Gerison Lansdown states in the Open University that involvement in participation serve ups to promote the well-being and development of children and young adults. She describes this as the virtuous propagate effect The more opportunities for meaningful participation, the more experience and competent the child becomes which in turn enables more effective participation which then promotes alter development (The Open University, Ch 6, Pg.277) Participation also has many drawbacks it may be difficult for adults to take childrens rights seriously due to the fact that children have been under-represented in social theory and policy for many years, many cultures did not postal service value on what children had to say. It may also be the case that childrens do not have equal access to participation rights and there may be a bias towards more pri vileged children having access to these resources, and the children who really need their rights to be heard are unable to gain access to these resources to improve their lives. Adults may also be reluctant to relinquish power to the children and young adults because they still assume they know what is best for children. They may feel that by encouraging participation rights they could produce children and young adults who lack respect towards parents and other adults and figures of authority. Some people may believe that particiption takes away a childs childhood this view may stem from the idealistic construction of childhood as a time of innocence or a care-free period (the romantic discourse) where they believe that children should not be bothered with important decision-making and responsiblity.We can see that there are many benefits and also drawbacks regarding a rights based approach and the use of participation. It is my opinion that the benefits far out-weigh the drawbacks. I believe that a reason why participation may be difficult to implement is due to the fact that many adults of this era were not afforded the benefits of participation themselves. I believe that the new generation of adults, the ones who have received the benefits of participation during their own childhoods will, due to first hand experience, have a greater correspondence regarding the importance of participation and be far more willing to empower children with the right to participate. In conclusion, we can see that throughout history there has been numerous ideological discourses surrounding children and early childhood. For example, in the Victorian era, where children were perceived as, to be seen and not heard, this discourse and others which I have discussed above, demonstrate how societys constructions of childhood can, has and will continue to influence laws and legislation regarding the ways in which adults intervene into childrens lives. So, do I believe that a rights-b ased approach, especially one which promotes child participation, is the best way of improving childrens lives? After considering the deficits and benefits of the three main approaches to childhood intervention and after exploring the theoretical ideas and practical application in the publicity of democracy and empowerment in the lives of young children, I have come to the conclusion that I agree that rights based approach is the best way of improving childrens lives. It is my opinion that empowering children with a voice to express their opinions will help contribute to the development of a healthy democratic society. I believe that democracy empowers children to protect themselves against abuses of their rights, and that failure to consult children and young adults on how they feel about something that directly involves them, fails to promote social equality.