Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2006, Side 97

SAMLEIKAGERÐ í NÝTSLUMENTANINI HJÁ BØRNUM
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') Inresponse to the general lackof knowledge about
children throughout the social sciences, childhood
studies has emerged over the past 20 years as an
alterative approach to studying children. This par-
adigm consists of authors from various fields such
as sociology, psychology, education and anthro-
pology. Very briefly, childhood studies criticises
the traditional approach (socialization) to theoriz-
■ng childhood, arguing that it treats children as in-
competent, incompletc and irrational. Childhood
studies seeks to explore children as active social
agents who are worth of study in their own right -
father than merely as subjects “in development”.
) Children are taught to obey adults. Therefore, it is
essential that researchers are acutely aware that
childrcn may express their reluctance to partici-
Pate through other means than words e.g. through
} body language.
) In the second school the primary thrce teacher was
new and the school thcrefore, decided to grant ac-
cess to primary two children instead of primary
three.
) Heterogeneous sampling involves collecting data
that explains and describes the key themes that are
observed in the research setting (Saunders et. al.,
2003).
5) The nursery school cared for children from a few
months old to school-age i.e. 4/5 years old.
6) The UK. government offers parents vouchers to
assist with child care costs. These can be used in
private as well as state-run nurseries.
7) Primary schools in the United Kingdom consist of
thc first seven years of schooling and are grouped
froni primary one to primary seven. The age range
in which children are at primary school ranges from
4/5 to 12/13.
8) The term extra-physical is used to describe those
aspects of appearance as being an extension as such
to the body. Therefore, although clothing for in-
stance, are material objects they are not in them-
selves part of the physical body.
9) These are all terms for particularclothing and con-
sumption styles - described by the children.
10) Firouz Gaini is currently writing a PhD on youth
culturc in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.