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Analysing childhood: a nursing perspective
1School of Health Studies, University of Bradford.
Insights
Childhood is a social construct influenced by culture, often limiting children's rights due to perceived immaturity. Children's nurses must critically understand childhood and use phenomenological research to identify children's needs.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Pediatrics
- Nursing
Background:
- Childhood is a dynamic social construct, varying across cultures and time.
- Societal perceptions of childhood often emphasize immaturity and dependency.
- These perceptions can impede the full realization of children's rights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically examine the social construction of childhood.
- To highlight the role of children's nurses as advocates for children's rights.
- To propose phenomenological research as a method for understanding children's needs.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of the social construction of childhood.
- Discussion of the implications for children's rights.
- Advocacy for phenomenological research methodologies.
Main Results:
- Childhood is not a fixed biological state but a social and cultural phenomenon.
- The concept of childhood can be a barrier to recognizing children's rights.
- Phenomenological research offers a valuable approach to understanding children's lived experiences.
Conclusions:
- Children's nurses require a critical understanding of childhood's social construction.
- Advocacy for children's rights necessitates challenging traditional views of childhood.
- Engaging in phenomenological research with children is crucial for identifying and addressing their needs.
Abstract:
Childhood is largely socially constructed and is subject to social and cultural change. Childhood is often characterised by immaturity and dependency, which may hamper the full recognition of children's rights. Children's nurses, as children's advocates, should develop a critical awareness of the concept of childhood. Children's nurses should also consider undertaking phenomenological research with children, as a means of identifying the needs of children.