Topic: Your case study should address a policy or initiative relating to a global issue (that is, an issue that is faced by children in more than one country and/or is affected by global events and processes).
Details: Overview
This module examines the how global social, economic, political and technological processes such globalization, the spread of capitalism and neo-liberalism variously impact children's lives across the world. Some of the processes and outcomes of these global influences include family change -parental separation, divorce, re-partnering; shifting and fluid generational roles; parental and child migration, poverty and child labour. This module explores how children's experiences of these processes are shaped by children's physical location in the Global North and Global South, in rural or urban areas, and intersect with their identities as children, girls, boys, minority or majority ethnic groups in those locations. It illuminates a number of theoretical approaches (feminist, post-structuralist, post- colonialist) that students can deploy in examining childhood globally. This module invites students to engage in a global and overarching inquiry into childhood(s) rather than examining childhood in one specific country; it encourages students to look across the globe for simarilities and differences in childhood experiences. Students are required to undertake, at the minimum, the core reading and tasks set for each week, and encouraged to engage in independent reading and study, both for their assignments and more widely.
Aims and learning outcomes of the module
By the end of the module you should:
1. Have a sophisticated knowledge and understanding of the socially, culturally and politically constructed nature of global childhoods, and issues facing children internationally.
2. Be able to recognise and utilise a variety of theoretical perspectives which are applied in the study of global childhoods.
3. Have developed an analytical and critical approach to the study of global childhoods which view childhood as plural and contextualised.
4. Have developed the knowledge, skills and understanding to critically analyse evidence (arguments and data) in taking a global perspective on childhood in different social and cultural contexts.
5. The ability to construct and communicate a complex argument in a concise and coherent presentation, and written case study, drawing upon learning from this module.
Assessment 1: A case study of 4,500 words
Your case study should address a policy or initiative relating to a global issue (that is, an issue that is faced by children in more than one country and/or is affected by global events and processes).
The policy or initiative might be concerned with children's welfare, rights or wellbeing, and may be a local, regional, national or international initiative. You will need to contextualise this initiative with reference to similar initiatives in other regions, countries and demonstrate a broader global knowledge of the issue which the initiative addresses, particularly if the initiative is local or national. You will have the chance to discuss your choice of initiative and your proposed assignment plan in a tutorial on 3rd, 10th or 11th March.
Your case study should include consideration of:
• The rationale for the initiative: what problem has the initiative set out to address? Critically consider the conceptualisation of the issue in light of your global childhoods sessions.
• An evaluation of the success or otherwise of the initiative: does the initiative achieve its aims? Has the initiative been already evaluated? Against what criteria? Using what methods? What were those findings and how were they shaped by the methodology used?
If it hasn't been evaluated, how have similar projects fared in their success or otherwise? What criteria are you using to evaluate the initiative?
• The local, national or international context: how does this facilitate, inhibit, pose challenges for the implementation of the initiative?
Please refer to the generic assessment criteria in the programme handbook at https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/stu/deps/PTaught/MA-Child-Studies/Assignments.aspx Additional assignment-specific criteria for the case study:
Understanding of the issues: Demonstration of the ability i) to give a clear account of the policy or initiative you are considering, and its wider context; ii) to demonstrate a broader knowledge of the relevant issues; iii) to draw on theoretical perspectives where appropriate; iv) to critically evaluate the policy or initiative in an appropriate and coherent way.
Selection and coverage of sources: i) Identification of key sources on the topic from the research literature; ii) use of relevant sources in evaluating the policy or initiative; iii) evidence of critical thinking around the relationship between research, theory, policy and practice; iv) Harvard or APA referencing is used, and all sources cited are included in the reference list at the end of the essay (please use the Harvard or APA system of referencing: for more details please see your Handbook).
Structure and clarity of presentation: The case study must be clearly presented and well structured:
i) the structure is logical and sets out the development of coherent evaluation of the policy or initiative; ii) contextual information is included as appropriate, both concisely and accurately; iii) sections, paragraphs and sentences flow logically, enabling the reader to follow the writing.
General: i) attention to policy and practice implications where appropriate, including concrete recommendations which can be seen to arise clearly from discussion of the identified issues; ii) high levels of presentational accuracy.
No# of Pages:1 pages (250 words)
Subject Area:International Studies & Foreign Affairs
Paper Style:APA