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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Watch this section for announcements, class cancellations, and added articles and resources. Be sure to check here before each class, just in case I have to cancel class. Hopefully this won't happen, but if I get severely ill, have a family emergency, or there is deadly ice and snow all over the place and Rutgers doesn't have the sense to cancel class, I may have no other way of warning you for such an early class other than this.

September 29, 2009 - My classes are cancelled today due to illness. Papers are now due on Thursday.

SOCIOLOGY of CHILDHOOD and ADOLESCENCE

50:920:323
Instructor: Robin Brownfield

Reading List - Books

MEIER, DEBORAH and WOOD, GEORGE (2004) Many Children Left Behind - FNO Press

PIPHER, Mary (1995) Reviving Ophelia - Ballantine Books

POLLACK, WILLIAM (1998) Real Boys – Owl Books

SCHOR, JULIET (2005) Born to Buy – Scribner

Brief description

This class will introduce students to the social, historical and cultural constructions of 'childhood' and children within the Western sociological context. It will also provide students with a clear sociological framework/paradigm in which to locate the various perceptions of 'childhood'.

Evaluation

Book Reviews

You will be required to write a 2-page review of the book Born to BuyDue April 5.

Guidelines for book reviews are here.

Take Home Exam

There will be one take home essay exam due on October 30.
This test is intended to bring together the information from
the course. This exam will NOT test memorization skills,
but instead will focus the analytical skills of drawing
conclusions and themes from the readings. You may use
your books, class notes and analytical papers for the
exam. There are no make-up or late exams accepted
unless there is written documentation from the Dean.
Academic honesty is expected, meaning your work must
be your own, and you must be careful and meticulous
about properly citing any sources used or quoted.

Final Paper

You will do one final position paper about the effects of the mass
media on children and adolescence.

Schedule of Assignments

9/4- 6 - Introduction

9/11 - 13 – Socio-historical perspectives on 'childhood'
Pipher, Ch. 1, 2
Movie: TBA

9/18 - Socio-historical perspectives on 'childhood'

Read Article: The History of Childhood is the History of Child Abuse

9/20 – Children and the changing family
Read: Pollack, Ch. 1 & 2
Pipher, Ch. 3. 4

9/25 - 27 – The social world of the child & Children’s Cultures
Read: TBA

10/2 - 4 – Gendering
Read: Pollack, Ch. 3-6 & 8
Pipher, Ch. 5 & 6

10/9 - 11– Gendering
Pipher, Ch. 7 - 15

10/16 - 18 – Children's rights and child protection

10/23 – 'Childhood' Globalization and 'childhood' within a capitalist culture
Take Home Exam handed out.
Movie: TBA

10/25 – NO CLASS!

10/30 - 11/1 – Education and socio-economic class
Read: Many Children Left Behind (All)
Take Home Exam Due – 10/30/07

? 11/6 - 8 – Education and socio-economic class
Read: Pollack, Ch. 10, 11, 12 & 13

11/13 - 15 – Children and society in conflict?

Read: TBA

11/20 – Children and Advertising
Book Review Due – Born to Buy – 11/20/07

11/27 - 29– Influence of the mass media on children and adolescents
Read: Strasburger, Ch. 7 , 8, 9

12/4 - 6 - The Future of Childhood

12/11 – Final Paper Due