Child , youth and culture Essay Example

READINGS ON CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH

Studying Childhood and Youth

Question 1: The authors describe a ‘triad of emotional exchange’ in the socialization of Japanese children. Explain in your own words how this shapes social interactions.

  The triad of emotional exchange represents the feeling of loneliness (sabishiisa), dependency (amae), and empathy (omoiyari) shapes the cultural patterning of Japanese children and subsequent
emotional
development.

Question 2: What do the messages children receive about emotions reveal about the ‘ideal person’ in Japan?

An ideal person in Japan should take control of his/her emotions in any conflict situation to develop his/her social relations and sort his/her own problems in any conflict situation.

Question 3: Explain in your own words why the teacher Morita deliberately avoided overtly intervening in a dispute between some girls in her class.

         The teacher wanted the children to develop conflict resolution mechanisms all by
themselves.

Question 4:  What evidence do Hayashi et al use? (e.g did they do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did they collect their data?

         Hayashi et al used interview questions in private and public preschools in Tokyo and Kyoto
where they conducted individual and focus group interviews on directors, experts, and teachers captured on video.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.

         The most pertinent question that this study raises to me is whether this teaching practice can be applied on a universal level.

Contemporary Constructions of Childhood

Question 1: What is the ideal childhood the authors claim is being promoted by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Non-government Organisations (NGOs) working to support it?

         The ideal childhood constitutes the improvement of children’s conditions through the cultivation of proper children and parents that can make the dream of good childhood a reality.

Question 2: This article gives examples NGOs whose programs have unintended negative consequences for the people they are working with. Give one example of something an organisation has done and the negative consequences.

         The Nepalese situation, where NGOs used to target urban poor children in their sponsorship programs, skills training and literacy classes, serves as a good example. Although the programs had good intentions but turned out to be agents of patronage and demoralization.

Question 3: The authors argue that there is a contradiction between, on the one hand, the CRC’s emphasis on children’s views being heard and their right to have a say in decisions that affect them and, on the other hand, other aspects of the CRC and local cultural values. Give an example from the article of this contradiction.

         Children have a right to express themselves. however, this right has been watered down by some activities of the CRC where children’s participation is based on an egalitarian and individualistic view of social structures and generational hierarchies.

Question 4:  What evidence do Valentin and Meinert use? (e.g did they do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did they collect their data?

        Valentin and Meinert collected data through participant observation by interviewing young children, families and young people. They did their fieldwork in Uganda, Nepal, and Vietnam.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.

         It is evident that CRC objectives are not in tandem with the real issues that affect children’s rights.

Gendering Childhood

Question1: Summarise what Rydstrom claims are the ideals held about girls’ behaviour in the village of Thinh Tri in Vietnam.

         Girls need to demonstrate good female morality through the practice of sentiments or tinh cam. It is supposed to show honor for their patrilineage which results in a good reputation and morality.

Question 2: Why is confrontation more of a problem for Thinh Tri females than for males?

         The confrontation is more of a problem for females than males because females are viewed as being more susceptible to losing their morality and honor.

Question 3: Give an example of how Rydstrom shows gendered ideology being reinforced in situations in which children have confrontations with adults.

         Children do not carry the burden of disdain more than women because females do not have inborn reputation, honor, and morality.

Question 4:  What evidence does Rydstrom use? (e.g did she do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did she collect her data?)

         Rydstrom did her fieldwork in the village where she studied the sexuality of men, women and children and how it affects their social lives in the community.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.
         It is interesting to know that children hold a higher social status than women in this society.

Children and Migration

Question 1: Summarise what Butcher argues about migrant youth using new forms of language amongst themselves: what does this entail and why do they do it?

         Migrant youth in Australia use new forms of language and social context to distinguish themselves from others.

Question 2: Give an example from the article of the attitude of migrant youth towards the language of their parents.

        Migrant youth have adapted their own lifestyle including bilingualism, relearning of their neglected mother tongue and the usage of an ethnolect to distinguish themselves.

Question 3: There is some difficult language used in this article. In your own words state what each of the following means [0.5 marks each]: ‘shifting vocabularies and meanings’ (p.372) ‘identity bifurcation’ (p.385)
          The term shifting vocabularies means the difference between the mainstream language in Australia and the one adapted by immigrant youth. Identity bifurcation’ means the response of trying to go against what is the norm.

Question 4:  What evidence does Butcher use? (e.g did she do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did she collect her data?

         Butcher did her fieldwork on Australian immigrant youth in Sydney. The studies were done through research and observations.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.

         The most pertinent question is why immigrant youth are not comfortable adapting to their host countries cultures especially with respect to identifying themselves with the prevailing culture.

Transnational Mobility

Question 1: What is the Caribbean ‘care chain’ that Olwig discusses in her paper?

         The Caribbean ‘care chain’ describes the movement of children between different social and household domains which generate local, regional and transnational networks of interpersonal relationships.

Question 2: In the story of the Smith family, what were 3 key factors shaping children’s experiences when they were separated from their parents?

         The factors that shape children’s experiences as a result of migration include the perception of being regarded and treated, as a burden, a resource or as subjects of the kind of family relations that this situation endows to them.

Question 3: List the different forms of children’s mobility discussed in this article.

         There is the need for them to take care of their siblings, the need for upward social mobility by searching for greener pastures.

Question 4:  What evidence does Olwig use? (e.g did she do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did she collect her data?

         Olwig used analysis based on fieldwork studies with families from Leeward Island of Nevis and specific life-story interviews of child migrants.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.

         The most interesting aspect of the care chain notion is the fact that children, though regarded as dependent, are in fact valuable members of any migratory society.

Children’s Work; Child Labour

Question 1: Following Amigó’s analysis, if child labour was prohibited in rural Lombok, Indonesia, what would be the consequences for the children, families and communities?

         The prohibition of child labor in rural Lombok, Indonesia can result in extreme poverty because the tobacco industry provides the main source of income for the whole community.

Question 2: What is Amigó’s critique of the concept of ‘household strategies’?

         Amigo counters that household strategies are not unidirectional but strategies that are controlled by individual interests and not for the interest of the common good. They are characterized by rebellion and held together by coercion.

Question 3: Give an example of how the children described in this article exert their agency.

         Children are able to exert their agency by being able to make decisions regarding how they use the money that they have earned.

Question 4:  What evidence does Amigó use? (e.g did she do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did she collect her data?

         Amigo did an 18-month ethnographic fieldwork in the island of Lombok, Indonesia and concentrated on child labor in the tobacco plantations.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.

         The question that stands out for me in this discourse relates to the child’s right to education.

Amongst Themselves, Siblings and Peer

Question 1: What is the relationship between Kenyan street children’s sub-culture and wider society, according to Davies?

         According to Davies, the obvious relationship of the Kenyan street children subculture and the wider society is the fact that both of them have strong social groups that provide leadership and close economic and personal relationships.

Question 2: Summarise how life on the streets can be empowering to the Kenyan children described in this article.

         The Kenyan street child is empowered by his lifestyle because his choice gives him a system of knowledge that is comparable to the western system of knowledge that is applicable in his local setup.

Question 3: List the kinds of interactions between street children that Davies describes.
        The kinds of interactions between street children include

formal education   b) learned habits  c) ceremonies, and d )rituals

Question 4:  What evidence does Davies use? (e.g did he do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did he collect his data?

         Davies conducted a fieldwork study of the street children in conjunction with a locally based NGO known as Pokot Educational and Development Project (PEDP) and collected data using participant observation.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.

         The most interesting thing about the text is how street children have been able to develop strong bonds and leadership through a series of interactions that are comparable to those of mainstream society.    

Child Survival

Question 1: What was one of the ethical dilemmas Montgomery encountered in her research with child prostitutes?

          The researcher was confronted with the dilemma of understanding the relationship between adults and children in this society and the society’s beliefs in filial duties and family relationships in regard to child prostitution.

Question 2: What were two of the obstacles Montgomery encountered in her research?

         Montgomery encountered obstacles due to her terminological assumption that viewed child prostitution as child abuse which sharply contradicted the children’s belief regarding their relationships with adult western men. There was also the community’s belief regarding the social responsibility of children to their parents and vice versa.

Question 3: Montgomery writes reflexively in her article: i.e. she considers how she influenced her research (and vice versa). Give an example of this.          By basing her research on rehabilitation homes and limiting her interviews on children who used ply their trade in the past, she was able to gather information which could have been unavailable if she only concentrated her attention on active child prostitutes.

Question 4:  What evidence does Montgomery use? (e.g did she do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did she collect her data?

         She conducted an anthropological fieldwork with child prostitutes in a Thai slum community.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.

         The most interesting aspect about child prostitution in Thailand is the fact that they are viewed as sources of livelihood with total disrespect to ethical issues about the subject.

Children and Globalisation

Question 1: What are the typical features of the home lives of Polynesian youth in Sydney’s western suburbs, as described by Betz?

        Many Polynesian cultures encourage obedience and respect and discourage children from speaking up due to the social hierarchy set up.

Question 2: What does Betz mean by ‘intersubjectivity’ in this article?

         This article explores the intersubjective sphere of artists and audience and the creativity they
generate. This is
exemplified by the Polynesian hip hop artists 6 Pound, Australia’s first hip hop choir
MASSIVE
and the Big Noiz Krew at the Got Swag event.

Question 3: How does hip hop reflect processes of globalisation?

         Hip-hop reflects globalization in the Australian context, in that, it has created its own distinct indigenous, localized and multicultural identity, expressions, and accents that dominate the internal scene on a global scale through the global music media.

Question 4:  What evidence does Betz use? (e.g did she do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did she collect her data?

         Betz
uses examples from famous Polynesian hip hop artists likes 6 Pound, MASSIVE, and the Big Noiz Krew during the Got Swag event to show that the hip hop culture generates shared knowledge that perpetuates the principle of local belonging.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.

         This
text confirms the notion that local popular culture is the basis for a globalized culture of interaction.

Becoming a Person

Question 1: What does Howell say is the importance of naming for the Chewong?

         The
naming of a child in Chewong is important because it not only endows the child with an identity but sets the stage in which a child would later be recognized as an adult.

Question 2: How does the concept of ruwai affect the care of babies? (You do not have to define ruwai in your answer).

         The ruwai affects the care of babies since it controls the state of any individual at any point in time. It sets the boundaries between the right and wrong behavior especially in children here they are regarded as independent agents with some sort of external influences.

Question 3: What does Howell mean when she says that for the Chewong, “a child is not a human being”? Include an explanation of what “being human” means for the Chewong.

         By stating that a child is not a human being, Howell means that the process of becoming a human being progresses to the time until one becomes married and that the child is only an embryonic being.

Question 4:  What evidence does Howell use? (e.g did she do fieldwork? If so, when, where, with whom? How did she collect her data?)

         She
conducted a fieldwork study among the Chewong people of
Malay.

Question 5: In no more than 2 sentences, state what interested you most about this text, or a question it raises for you.

         The text gives us a clear perspective of how communities differ in their perceptions regarding the
social development stages of an individual.

References

Hayashi, A, Karasawa, M and Tobin, J., 2009. ‘The Japanese preschool’s pedagogy of

        Feeling: cultural strategies for supporting young children’s emotional development’,

        Ethos,
vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 32-49.