Comparing Childhood Studies

Daniel Sorel Ionescu E3763179
Mrs Sheila Butler
E102 Introduction to Childhood Studies and Child Psychology
19th of November 2015

Part 1. Comparing and contrasting childhood studies and child psychology

What are the main features of childhood studies?

The study of children and their development is a new interdisciplinary field unifying research from sociology, anthropology, development psychology, law, and healthcare. Childhood studies emerged from the universal need to understand children’s development, their susceptibility to external factors, and what it means to be a child from the child 's perspective. Children differ depending on many factors, such as place, time, social status, religion, and tradition, and each of these aspects

Child psychologists try to answer fundamental questions such as how children develop language, personality, empathy, and behaviour, with an emphasis on environmental and genetic differences. Some of child psychology theories had their foundation in good old assumptions and later developed the empirical backing, obtained through rigorous scientific investigation, which has popularised them. Child psychology incorporates standardized experimental methods in which the investigator controls the environment and non-experimental studies in which researchers observe the subject in a natural setting. When researching children, there is no ideal approach, and factors such as gender, age, personality, or the subject of the study are suggestive of what investigation method is suitable. An educational psychologist works with schools, nurseries or any other organizations that engage with children and provides reports and advice to SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) representatives about observation of particular children’s cognitive development and evolution. To help in the development of problematic children, an educational psychologist may use standardized tests to evaluate the nature of the problem and set milestones for a plan of action. Furthermore, when

All theories are research-based, and all investigation is centred on interacting with children and interviewing people involved in their lives, trying to understand the child’s view of the world. Childhood studies recognize that every child is different and socially constructed, influenced by external factors, such as cultural and social constituents.
On the other hand, childhood psychology looks at the child internally, concerned with examining the mind and behaviour, from foetus to adolescence, influenced by hereditary and environmental variances.
The difference between the two disciplines is the ability of child psychologist to use genetic research to treat disorders that have been influenced genetically rather than only environmentally. In contrast, childhood studies could extend their research only to child behaviour and environmental factors. Furthermore, child psychology, similarly to childhood studies, reflects on environmental factors such as social and cultural effects; however, it puts more emphasis on the behavioural changes over time within the same child.
Child psychology, in contrast to childhood studies, investigates the child scientifically as an object of study, the child having less of an influence over the way the research is being