CTSJ 270 Children and Childhood

This course looks cross-culturally at children and childhood and uses ethnographic case studies as a basis for examining the ways in which the very young participate in the social lives of their communities. The focus is on those between the ages of 5-12 and the primary topics include: children's play, socialization, learning, political action, and productive work. We will explore the lives of children in horticultural, pastoral, rural, and urban societies in Africa, Asia, Polynesia, and the contemporary United States.