466-824 Sociological Perspectives of Early Childhood Development

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Objectives:

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

• identify the nature and concerns of the discipline of sociology;

• demonstrate an understanding of the different sociological perspectives;

• critically analyse competing paradigms in studies of childhood, socialisation and the family;

• demonstrate an understanding of the social influences on the development of the socialisation process with particular reference to primary socialisation within the family; and

• develop a critical awareness of the traditional nuclear family and of alternative patterns of family life that exist in Australia.

Content:

An exploration of the sociological dimensions of child development with particular emphasis on the concept of socialisation and the institution of the family; students will be introduced to the different theoretical approaches to the study of human behaviour within the discipline of sociology and encouraged to critically evaluate these theories; these frameworks will then be applied to the analysis of socialisation, the family, childhood and the wider society.

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