Early Childhood Studies: A Multi-Disciplinary and Holistic Introduction

369 Pages·2013·3.177 MB·English

by  Jayne Taylor, Emma Bond, Margaret Woods (eds.)

3rd Edition
EARLY
CHILDHOOD
STUDIES
A Multidisciplinary and Holistic Introduction
Edited by
Jayne Taylor,Emma Bond and Margaret Woods
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Contents
List of contributors v
Preface vi
Introduction vii
Emma Bond
Chapter 1 Early childhood studies: first principles 1
Emma Bond
Chapter2 New beginnings: factors affecting health and well-being in
the neonate 26
Heather Passmore and Samantha Chenery-Morris
Chapter3 Embodied childhoods 46
Jessica Clark
Chapter4 Personal, social and emotional development 65
Anne Greig
Chapter5 Children’s relationships 89
David Rutherford
Chapter6 Play, language and learning 113
Anne Greig
Chapter7 Early childhood education and care 133
Beverley Nightingale and Sally Payne
Chapter8 Understanding childhood in late modernity 162
Emma Bond and Stuart Agnew
Chapter9 Children and social policy: an introduction 182
Sarah Richards
Chapter10 The multidisciplinary child protection system: current
policy and practice 205
Jackie Plenty
Chapter 11 Child health 228
Jayne Taylor and Helen Donovan
Contents iii
Chapter 12 Young children with disabilities 248
Sue Hollinrake
Chapter13 Children’s geographies 272
Jessica Clark
Chapter14 Perspectives on early childhood research 293
Jayne Taylor
Chapter15 Leading and managing child-centred services 308
Jayne Taylor
Chapter16 Understanding children’s rights: examining the
rhetoric with reality 330
Emma Bond and Stuart Agnew
Index 349
iv Early Childhood Studies: A Multidisciplinary and Holistic Introduction
List of contributors
Editors
Emma Bond BA (Hons) PGCE FHEA PhD RSA is Senior Lecturer in Applied Social
Sciences, University Campus Suffolk and Course Leader MA Childhood and Youth Studies.
Jayne Taylor RN RHV Dip Nursing (London) Cert Ed BSc Nursing (Hons) MBA PhD is
Chief Operating Officer for Hertsmere, Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group and
formerly the Dean of the School of Health, Suffolk College.
Margaret Woods BA MA Dip Ed is formerly Dean of Quality Enhancement in the Higher
Education Sector of Suffolk College.
Contributors
Stuart Agnew BSc (Hons) MSc PGCE is Senior Lecturer in Applied Social Sciences,
University Campus Suffolk.
Jessica Clark BA (Hons) MA is Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies, University
Campus Suffolk and Course leader BA Children, Young People and Policy.
Samantha Chenery-Morris BSc (Hons) RM RGN RSCN MA NMC RTQ is Senior Lecturer
in Midwifery, University Campus Suffolk.
Helen Donovan RN, RM, RHV, BSc (Hons), MA in Higher Education is Public Health
Advisor for the Royal College of Nursing and Senior Health Protection Nurse in Haringey
north London.
Anne Greig MA (Hons) Dip Ed PhD Dip CBT MSc Educational Psychology C Psychol Ax is
Chartered Educational Psychologist and Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
and Honorary Lecturer and Tutor at Strathclyde University.
Sue Hollinrake CQSW Advanced Award SW Doctor of Social Work is Senior Lecturer in
Social Work, University Campus Suffolk and Programme Leader Social Work.
Beverley Nightingale BA (Hons) MA PGCE is Senior Lecturer, University Campus Suffolk
and Course leader, BA (Hons) Dip HE Early Childhood Studies.
Heather Passmore PGCEA MPhil is Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery,
Lead Midwife for Education and Course Leader, MA in Clinical Effectiveness, University
Campus Suffolk.
Sally Payne BA (Hons) MA PGCE is Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, University
Campus Suffolk and Lead Assessor for the Early Years Professional Status Programme.
Jackie Plenty BSC (Hons) MA DipSW PGCE Dip in Counselling and Psychotherapy is
Senior Lecturer in Social Work, University Campus Suffolk.
Sarah Richards BA (Hons) MA PGCE is Senior Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies,
University Campus Suffolk.
David Rutherford BA MSc MBPS is formerly Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology,
University Campus Suffolk.
List of contributors v
Preface
This third edition of Early Childhood Studies: A Multidisciplinary and Holistic Introduction
reflects the continuing success of the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (ECS) which was
developed at University College Suffolk in 1992. It was one of the earliest degrees of its kind
and had the distinction of producing the country’s first Early Childhood Studies graduates.
Today, 21 years later in 2013, this subject, at undergraduate and postgraduate level, constitutes
a significant programme within the School of Applied Social Sciences at University Campus
Suffolk (UCS). Indeed, the current team feel able to claim in the web overview of their courses
that this substantial and long-term academic base ‘places UCS at theforefront of developments
and initiatives within’ what has now become an ‘established discipline’.
Over these 21 years, the various Early Childhood Studies teams have been strongly committed
to an holistic view of the young child, and also enthusiastic about providing a degree
programme to reflect and promote the essential interdisciplinary approach sustained by the
underlying philosophy of holism. This has involved them in bringing together within the ECS
degree programmes aspects of their traditional academic disciplines, professional expertise
and research interests as they relate to early childhood, e.g. in education, health, psychology,
sociology, social policy, child development, linguistics, social work, anthropology and research.
The same principles and strategies underpinthis text which also retains the original and primary
aim to introduce undergraduates and early years’ professionals to holism as it applies to early
childhood practices and services. It also provides an insight into inter-professional working.
As with the first and second editions, this publication has been written by current and ex
members of staff; pleasingly this includes three ECS programme graduates who now teach on
the UCS courses. Dr Emma Bond, co-editor, is one of those and, as her personal tutor during
her undergraduate studies, I am enormously proud of her subsequent achievements. I am also
delighted that my former colleague and friend Dr Jayne Taylor, a talented academic and author as
well as a consummate health professional, agreed to undertake the editorial role for a third time.
The elements which readers found most informative and useful in previous editions have been
preserved, but the relatively radical update encompasses significant new practices, policies,
legislation and research whilst being mindful of the current restrictive economic climate. It is hoped
study of the text may contribute to readers being able to meet consequent challenges in working
to achieve the highest quality of practice within various early childhood professions and settings.
Readers should find it helpful to delve into single chapters which are complete texts within
themselves. It is, however, deemed important and desirable that the book be considered in
its entirety; it is only then that an understanding of holism as it applies to early childhood
can be fully realised and actively constitute the quintessential aspect of the interdisciplinary
approach and inter-active professionalism which genuinely supports and enhances the
experiences and lives of young children and their families.
Margaret Woods
Retired Dean of Quality Enhancement in the HE sector of University Campus Suffolk.
Previously she led development of the initial BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies, the MA
in Early Childhood Studies and the MA in Special Needs. She was the first Course Leader
of the original ECS undergraduate programme and it was Margaret’s idea to create the first
edition of Early Childhood Studies: A Multidisciplinary and Holistic Introduction.
vi Early Childhood Studies: A Multidisciplinary and Holistic Introduction
Introduction
Emma Bond
Welcome to the third edition of Early Childhood Studies: A Multidisciplinary and Holistic
Introduction. This new edition has been updated and benefits not only from the revision of
all chapters but also from the addition of four new chapters – Chapter 3 Embodiedchildhoods
and Chapter 13 Children’s geographies by Jessica Clark, and Chapter 8 Understanding
childhood in late modernity and the concluding Chapter 16 Children’s rights by Emma
Bond and Stuart Agnew. This new edition builds upon the well-established theoretical
approaches from the previous edition to consider young children’s lives in the context of
current policy, recent research and contemporary debate. Early childhood studies (ECS) is
an exciting multidisciplinary subject which continues to enjoy increasing popularity at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels and is a rapidly developing area of academic interest,
policy and early years professional practice initiatives.
On a personal note, I began my own undergraduate study of early childhood at, what was then
Suffolk College, in 1995 under the expert tuition of Margaret Woods – one of the founding
editors of this textbook. Margaret inspired my quest for knowledge of childhood which led
me on to an academic career in teaching BA Early Childhood Studies, MA Childhood and
Youth Studies and to further study with a PhD and then on to further funded childhood
and youth-related research projects. The ECS course at University Campus Suffolk (UCS)
continues to be extremely popular with students intending to enter a career working with or
for children and/or their families. The primary focus of ECS is children from birth to eight
years, but it also covers conception through to when a child is approximately 11 years of
age. A holistic philosophy permeates this text which takes a multidisciplinary approach and
offers a fascinating and stimulating introduction to the academic study of early childhood.
This means it includes educational, health, welfare, psychological, sociological, legal,
philosophical, political and economic perspectives. It has been a tremendous privilege and
honour to edit this third edition, to continue the Taylor and Woods legacy, and I hope that
it may motivate and inspire another generation of early childhood scholars to learn and to
question and to further their knowledge in this fascinating field.
This introduction outlines the key arguments and debates that are presented in the chapters
to follow, including the fundamental importance of understanding children’s rights
(Chapter 16). This book is not intended to be a prescriptive nor definitive volume, but one
which contributes to the ever-growing library of ECS literature and to the learning and
understanding of a range of topics related to the academic study of early childhood. To this
end, the authors of these chapters do not assume that the readers of this edition are early
years practitioners nor perhaps in early years practice (although it is anticipated that many
may be so), but that readers have chosen this volume because they are interested in early
childhood, in understanding more about it and in learning and thinking about it.
The first chapter – Early childhood studies: first principles – considers the academic study
of early childhood and how this multidisciplinary subject developed from a range of other
Introduction vii
related academic disciplines. This chapter, updated from the previous edition, reflects the
significant conceptual shift catalysed by the new social studies of childhood (see James
etal., 2010), which developed as a critique of developmental psychology and the increasing
importance of children’s rights. The impact that these developments have had on studying
early childhood is discussed and, while the previous edition highlighted observation as
a tool for studying early childhood (now considered in Chapter 14, Perspectives on early
childhoodresearch), this updated chapter places emphasis on adopting a more participatory
approach– giving prominence to the importance of listening to children and viewing them
as active social agents. To this end, the first chapter critically examines key approaches to
studying early childhood and the dominant discourses associated with conceptions of
childhood. It examines power relationships alongside an exploration of the key principles
of studying early childhood and the importance of viewing children as the experts in their
everyday lives. Through an analysis of dominant ideologies in relation to early childhood,
including historical perspectives, readers are encouraged to reflect on and critically examine
notions of childhood and the diversity of children’s lived experiences.
In Chapter 2, Heather Passmore and Samantha Chenery-Morris consider Newbeginnings:
factorsaffectinghealthandwell-beingintheneonate and this takes a new approach to focus
on the neonate rather than the infant. The neonate is a baby during the first 28 days after
birth and this chapter considers the importance of the antenatal and neonatal period to
healthy development, which will then be considered further in relation to the other chapters
which discuss infant well-being, milestone development and bonding (see Chapters 3, 4
and 5). The importance of pre-conceptual care is considered but, as the authors suggest,
although offered to women of child-bearing age with existing health conditions, such
as epilepsy and diabetes, it is not the norm in the UK. In reality, the majority of UK
conceptions are unplanned, and as such few women access these services. This chapter
follows the chronological development from pre-conception, through the antenatal period
to 28 days postnatally and reviews the recent changes and developments in both antenatal
and newborn screening. Passmore and Chenery-Morris outline the increase in screening
tests offered antenatally to women and postnatally to mothers of newborn babies which
reflect the earlier timing of antenatal screening, changing demographics of the UK and the
altered prevalence of inherited diseases and conditions. It is argued that women are being
offered more screening tests for their own well-being, as well as that of their baby, and
also conditions which impact upon the health of the whole family, such as antenatal and
postnatal maternal mental health.
Following on from this chapter, Chapter 3 Embodiedchildhoods by Jessica Clark focuses on
why academic and professionals study child development. Clark undertakes an investigation
of the health and growth screening in early childhood and illustrates how various factors
influence the growth and development of young children. The chapter critically considers
the notion of developmental milestones, in terms of physical growth, and the use of screening
and centile charts, but within the wider, updated political context and policy developments
in this field. The chapter adopts a deliberately broad focus in order to accommodate a
critique of the developmental and physical stages as the dominant ways of assessing the
well-being of children in the early years in the UK. Clark pays particular attention to the
development of studies into the lives of young children with disabilities that draw on a
social model of disability to resist the dominant discourse of atypical development and
‘otherness’ that uses physical and developmental theory as its evidentiary base. As the title
suggests, this chapter introduces readers to the area of ‘embodied childhoods’ and argues
viii Early Childhood Studies: A Multidisciplinary and Holistic Introduction
that the physical body mediates young children’s everyday experiences. It provides readers
with an alternative socio-cultural perspective to the dominant biological and developmental
approaches which have traditionally informed both policy and practice. Social inequalities
on physical development in early childhood are also examined to acknowledge the role of
ethnicity and socio-economic status on the meeting of physical needs in the early years.
Finally, the chapter explores the current emphasis on nutrition in preschool and school-age
children which reflects the policies and health promotion strategies including the debates
surrounding childhood obesity.
Moving from the body in early childhood, Chapter 4 turns its attention to the psychology of
early childhood. In Personal,socialandemotionaldevelopment, Anne Greig examines seminal
ground-breaking psychological research and theory in relation to early childhood. This is
important as the last ten years have seen an increase in research into early childhood mental
health and well-being, personal risk and resilience factors, with health, education and social
policy and practice interventions aimed at improving outcomes for the younger members
of society through early intervention. This chapter critically reviews the most recent policy,
research and practice in the field and outlines the theoretical approaches to personal, social
and emotional (PSE) competence and how emotional intelligence and emotional literacies
are defined. Greig demonstrates how we are only just beginning to understand the complex
nature of personal, social and emotional development and intelligence. Gaining knowledge
and understanding of this aspect of early childhood is vital if we are to effectively work with
and provide support for young children.
In Chapter 5, David Rutherford discusses how Children’s relationships are a fundamental
tenet of the emotional, social and cognitive development of children in western societies.
He draws on the Good Childhood Report (2012) to examine the importance of the home
environment and the relationship between children’s well-being and their safety, security,
privacy and stability. This chapter outlines parenting styles and examines the complexity
of multicultural features, to introduce readers to both societal and community aspects
of children’s relationships. Current thinking about determinism, politicisation, the Big
Society and social capital are explained in order to acquaint students with these concepts
and facilitate further understanding of the broader issues that impact on children’s lives
and their relationships. The chapter also considers notions of vulnerability and resilience in
relation to young children and crucially examines the discourse on parenting to raise some
thought-provoking and possibly controversial questions about the nature of contemporary
parenting (a theme also explored in relation to the risk society in Chapter 8). Sibling
relationships, friendships and grandparent relationships are considered and Rutherford
here further expands his analysis to explore parent education, poverty, and ethnic and
cultural aspects to consider fragile families and resilience, including some recent ideas and
research on maternal attachment and on cross-cultural research on fathering, violent men
and gay and lesbian parenting.
In Play, language and learning, Anne Greig provides readers with a robust exposition of
classical theories of child development, primarily from a psychological perspective, with
special attention to the interactive and holistic nature of the psychological developments
in early childhood. Updated from the previous edition, Chapter 6 interrogates recent
and emerging research on the relevant themes, such as the social dynamics of learning
in language, literacy and the role of play in early reading. Grieg outlines for readers the
theoretical approaches in understanding language development and in play and explores
Introduction ix