This module aims to examine a range of theories relating to social constructions of childhood and the implications of this for Early Years practice. It considers representations of children and childhood, including those in the media. It considers a range of historical, cultural, philosophical, and theoretical perspectives on early childhood such as feminism and post-modernism, and includes lived global childhoods and majority world perspectives This module aims to enable students to:

• Examine social constructions of infancy and childhood.
• Critically evaluate how children and childhood are represented.
• Consider the global, cultural, historical, and economic context of early childhood and how issues of discrimination and inequality impact young children’s lives.
• Examine contemporary debates in relation to early childhood.