Topics in Childhood Studies
Spring, 2005: Monday, Wednesday 2:50-4:10
Professor: Sean Duffy, Ph.D.
Email: seduffy@camden.rutgers.edu
Office hours: M W 4:30 – 5:30
Course goals:
The goal of this course is to achieve an understanding of topics in the emerging field of childhood
studies, a new multidisciplinary approach towards studying childhood itself as an object of scholarly
inquiry. Rutgers-Camden is a center of scholarly work on this topic, and beginning next year there will
be a new undergraduate major, M.A., and Ph.D. program here in Childhood Studies. Rather than an
“Introduction” to this field, we will take a “topics-based” approach to this course, examining various
areas in this field of inquiry. Some of the questions we address include the meaning of childhood, how
childhood varies in different historical and cultural contexts, how various scholarly fields have
approached the question of childhood in relation to their own disciplinary perspectives, ways in which
children are represented in literature and the arts, and a variety of other issues. We will be watching a
good number of documentaries and films in this course.
Course requirements:
There are 4 requirements in this course.
1. Readings. These should be completed BEFORE the week they are assigned.
2. 8 quizzes on randomly chosen days. 40%
3. 2 exams (multiple choice) 40%
4. 3 page paper for project “Get out of New Jersey and go to a Philadelphia Museum” 20%
5. Attendance – If you miss more than 4 classes, I reserve the right to give you a failing grade for the
course. Use of electronic devices prohibited.
1. Readings:
Many of the readings will be available on sakai. In addition, please get the following:
Grodstein, L. (2003) Reproduction is the flaw of love. New York: Dial Press.
New England Primer, WallBuilder Press, ISBN: 092527917X
Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are, HarperTrophy, ISBN: 0064431789
Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Warne, ISBN: 0723247706
2. Quizzes
The quizzes will be 5 questions. They will be on topics addressed in the previous lecture / film. They will
be graded out of 4 questions – you can miss one question and still get a 100%. I will also drop 2 quizzes
at the end of the semester – your lowest grades. THESE ARE FOR DAYS WHEN YOU ARE ABSENT.
NO MAKEUPS FOR ANY REASON.
3. Exams
Exams will be multiple choice, on topics addressed in the lectures, readings AND films. Exam 2 is not
comprehensive – it deals only with the topics addressed since Exam 1. If you wish, you may write a 5
page paper instead of either exam, but you must get the topic approved by me and you may not use a
paper from another course. You will have to get the topic personally approved by me, and I will likely
deny it or change it significantly if it sounds recycled.
4. Attendance & Participation
You are expected to attend every lecture. I have spent a significant amount of time getting outside
lecturers to come in, and the outside lecturers have generously volunteered their own time to come and
provide us with their insights, and so I expect ALL of you to show up for these.
Other rules:
Classroom behavior
The use of portable electronic devices (cell phones, text messaging, pagers, laptops, blackberries,
Nintendo things) is strictly prohibited. I reserve the right to confiscate any of these items
if you use them during class, and I may ask you to leave class if you are a repeat offender. You
may not leave class to take a phone call – it is disgraceful and disrespectful to both me and your
fellow students. If I am not important enough to take a call during class, neither are you. If you
leave class to take a call, take your belongings with you, as I will not allow you to re-enter. You
may not leave class except in the case of an emergency. If you leave, please take your belongings
and don’t come back. Use the bathroom before you come to class. If you are more than 5
minutes late, out of respect for your fellow students and me, do not come to class. I reserve
the right to deny students entry to class 5 minutes after the class starts. If I can make it to
class on time, so can you.
Sakai
I use Sakai for distributing materials, grading, and general announcements. Use Sakai, or learn
how to use it. If you can ebay, if you can myspace, you can sakai. Not knowing how to use Sakai
is no excuse for not receiving important announcements or course materials.
Use your Rutgers Email
When I email the class, I use the list that the Registrar gives me. I can not change this list, and it
is your responsibility to either use your Rutgers email account or set up your Rutgers account so
that you receive emails in your personal account. If you use some other account, such as
imafoolishrutgersstudent@yahoo.com, you may not receive my emails, and you will definitely
not receive pity from me. Its so easy to forward even a monkey could do it – and you’re probably
smarter than a monkey.
Academic Honesty:
You are expected to read and understand rules regarding academic misconduct. Ignorance of
these rules will not be accepted as an excuse for academic misconduct. If you are found
cheating on exams or plagiarizing on your paper, you will receive a failing grade for the
course and I will report you to the Office of Academic Affairs. I offer no exception to this
rule, ESPECIALLY ignorance of what plagiarism entails. Rutgers maintains a website with
specific guidelines concerning academic honesty. You are expected to read and understand all of
these rules:
http://cat.rutgers.edu/integrity/policy.html
Class cancellations:
In the event of a natural disaster (e.g., snow storm, earthquake, tsunami) class may be cancelled.
In the case of bad weather, check your email to be sure that I have not cancelled class. (See above
section on using your Rutgers email)
Incompletes / Pass – No-credit:
Granted ONLY under unusual situations. Poor performance in the course is not a valid reason for
requesting an incomplete. Those signed up for pass/no-credit, a final grade of a C or better is
required to pass.
Disability accommodations:
For disability accommodations, please call the Disability Services Coordinator. Students who
require special accommodations for the course or its assignments or exams (as indicated by a
formal letter/statement from the Disability Services Coordinator) should also contact the
instructor as early as possible. No accommodations will be granted without documentation from
the Disability Services Coordinator, so don't even mention it if you don't have documentation.
Missed class:
Get to know someone in this class. Not only might you make a new friend, you will have
someone to borrow notes from in the rare and unusual circumstance in which you might have to
miss lecture. I will not provide you with lecture notes. My class should be the most important
thing in your life right now, because the grade you receive from me gets figured into your GPA,
and your GPA will later determine whether you get into law school, get that awesome job, or
accomplish whatever it is you plan to do with your life.
This class is your job - treat it like a job.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES TO THE SYLLABUS ORALLY
CONVEYED IN CLASS, VIA EMAIL, OR ON SAKAI! BEING UNAWARE OF A CHANGE
CAN NOT BE USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR ANY PURPOSE WHATSOEVER.
Biographies of guest speakers:
Vibiana Bowman is a librarian at the Paul Robeson Library at Rutgers-Camden. She has written
books on plagiarism and a forthcoming book on childhood studies.
Page Buck is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Social Work at Bryn Mawr College. She
conducts research on family, neighborhoods, and schools.
Kathy Duffy, M.S.W. A social worker from Community College of Philadelphia who works
with developmentally disabled children and adults. She is Professor Duffy’s sister.
Dr. Lauren Grodstein: A writer and faculty member in the English Department, Grodstein
teaches creative writing classes and is the author of the novel Reproduction is the Flaw of Love
and a collection of stories, The Best of Animals.
Dr. Dan Hart: A developmental psychologist who studies children and adolescents, focusing
particularly the development of personality and social relations.
Liz Kassabian is a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers-Camden.
Dr. Carol Singley is a professor in the English Department at Rutgers interested in American
literature, American studies, childhood studies, and women’s literature.
Dr. Stuart Charme is a professor in the department of Philosophy and Religion who studies the
development of ethnic identity in Jewish children.
Nyeema Watson is the associate director of the Center for Children and Childhood Research
who has experience in the New Jersey department of Education.
Course Schedule (subject to changes)
Week 1:
Wednesday 1/17: Intro to the course, hand out syllabi. (Sean Duffy)
Week 2:
Monday 1/22: What is “childhood studies?” (Sean Duffy)
Readings:
Pufall, P., & Unsworth, R. (2004). The imperative and the process for rethinking childhood. In P. Pufall
and R. Unsworth (Eds.) Rethinking Childhood. (pp. 1 – 21) New Brunswick: Rutgers University
press
James, A. Understanding childhood from an interdisciplinary perspective. Ibid.
Wednesday 1/24: The history of children and childhood (Sean Duffy)
Readings:
Gittins, D. (2005), The historical construction of childhood. In Childhood Studies: An introductory reader.
Cleverly, J. & Phillips, D. (1976/1994) On seeing children throughout history. In Visions of Childhood:
Influential models from Locke to Spock. New York: Teachers College Press.
Reef – Excerpts from his book on the history of childhood in America
Week 3:
Monday: 1/29: Normative and prescriptive models of parenthood (Sean Duffy)
Readings:
Stearns, P. Vulnerable Children
Dr. Spock: Baby and Child Care pp 1-44
Patchet: Age of Innocence (short, 2 pages)
Wednesday 1/31: Literature for Children (Carol Singley)
Readings:
New England Primer, WallBuilder Press, ISBN: 092527917X
Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are, HarperTrophy, ISBN: 0064431789
Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Warne, ISBN: 0723247706
Week 4:
Monday 2/5: The child as economic being: Children as consumers (Sean Duffy)
Cook, D. – Children of the brand
Boocock & Scott - Kid Consumers in a Global Economy
Wednesday 2/7: Presentation: Researching Childhood Studies (Vib Bowman)
Reading:
Duffy, S. (2007). Psychology. In V. Bowman, Scholarly Resources for children and childhood studies.
Blackford, H. (2007). English. In V. Bowman, Scholarly Resources for children and childhood studies.
Week 5: Childhood Studies’ evil twin: Developmental Psychology in debate
Monday 2/12: The nurture story of cognitive development (Sean Duffy)
Readings:
Kagan, J. Guiding Themes in Human Development
Piaget, J. Excerpts from The Construction of Reality in the Child (pp.250-272)
Wednesday 2/14: The nature story of cognitive development (Liz Kassabian)
Readings:
Spelke, L. The origin of knowledge: Six suggestions
Baillargeon, R. Current directions article.
Week 6: Contexts of childhood: Environments and Poverty
Monday: 2/19: Film – The Boys of Bakara (2006)
Wednesday: 2/21: Environment and poverty (Dan Hart)
Readings:
Evans, G. (2004). The environment of child poverty. American Psychologist
Bradley, R., & Corwyn, R. (2002). Socioeconomic status and child development. Annual Review of
Psychology, 53, 371-399.
Xue, Y., Leventhal, T., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Earles, F. (2005) Neighborhood residence and mental health
problems of 5 to 11 year olds. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, 554-563.
Week 7: Culture and childhood
Monday 2/26: Children from the perspective of cultural psychology (Sean Duffy)
Readings:
Deloache, J & Gottlieb. If Doctor Spock were born in Bali.
Reese, D. A Parenting manual, with words of advice for Puritan mothers.
Diener, M. Gift from the Gods: A Balinese guide for early child rearing.
Wednesday 2/28: PAGE BUCK
Week 8: Sociological and economic perspectives on childhood
Monday 3/5: Sociology and economics of childhood (Sean Duffy)
Boocock & Scott – Introduction & Chapter 1 of Kids in Context
Levitt & Dunbar – Selections from Freakonomics
Wednesday 3/7: Exam 1
SPRING BREAK!!! (Prof. Duffy will be in Japan –will probably not return emails)
Week 9: Children’s films
Monday 3/19: Free time to go to Penn’s Anthropology Museum, The Please Touch Museum, or the
Museum of Art for Project “Get out of New Jersey and go to a Philadelphia Museum”
Wednesday 3/21: Children’s films (Sean Duffy)
Readings:
Martin-Rodriguez, M. Reel Origins
Smith, K. Mental Hygiene: Classroom films 1945-1970
Please watch prior to class a recent children’s film.
Week 10: Childhood and mental illness
Monday 3/26: Developmental psychopathology (Naomi Marmorstein)
Readings
Mash, E. & Wolfe, D. (2005) Theories and causes. In Abnormal Child Psychology, 3rd Edition. Thompson
Wadsworth. (pp. 25-49)
Nevid, J., Rathus, S., & Greene, B. (2005) Abnormal behavior in childhood and adolescence. From
Abnormal Psychology in a Changing World, 6th edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. (pp. 470-506)
Jones, K. (1999) Constructing the troublesome child. In Taming the Troublesome Child: American
Families, Child Guidance, and the Limits of Psychiatric Authority. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press. (pp. 16-37)
Wednesday 3/28: Film: Growing Up Different Alan Alda, host
This will be an introduction to the topics we will discuss in weeks 10 & 11.
Week 11: Physical disabilities
Monday: 4/2: Dealing with physical and mental disabilities.(Kathy Duffy)
Readings:
Kingsley, E. (1987) Welcome to Holland (1 page)
Carter, S. (2004) For just one day. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 47, 181-183.
Wednesday 4/4: Film: Sound and the Fury Livingston 2-7125
Week 12: Adolescence and emerging adulthood: Returning to literature
Monday 4/9: Film: Chain Camera (2004) – Kirby Dick (Director and producer)
Wednesday 4/11: Writing about childhood and the transition into emerging adulthood (Lauren Grodstein)
Grodstein, L. (2003) Reproduction is the Flaw of Love. New York: Dial Press.
Friday 4/13: Childrens book author conference (optional)
Week 13: Potpourri
Monday 4/16: Childhood Studies in action: Nyeema Watson discusses her action work
Readings TBA
Wednesday 4/18: Children and Religion (Stuart Charme)
Readings TBA
Week 14: Cultural relativism: How far should it go?
Monday 4/23: The case of “female genital mutilation” (Sean Duffy)
Readings:
3 Selections from the New York Times
Shweder, R. (2003) What about Female Genital Mutilation and why understanding culture matters
Wednesday: 4/25: Film: Children born out of rape during war
Reading: TBA
Week 15:
Monday 4/30: Exam 2
Recycling papers constitutes plagiarism. All papers must use a formatting style like MLA,
Chicago, or APA format for citations and references. All references (including web sites) must be
cited. All papers must use 12 point Times font, have no greater than 1.25 inch margins on all
sides, and be double spaced. 3 pages.
Choose one of the three following options:
Option 1: The cultural anthropology of childhood
What childhood is, what it means, how it is organized, moralized, understood, varies between different
cultures, societies, and historical times. In this research paper, I would like you to go to the University
of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Anthropology in Philadelphia and select one of the cultures that is part of
their anthropology exhibits (e.g., Egypt, Inuit, etc). I would like you to describe some of the artifacts
and objects, read information about them, and learn all that you can – through the use of the library and
the internet – about the culture you have chosen. I would like you to conclude by contrasting what
childhood means in this culture with some of the ideas of what childhood means in your own culture –
how there may be differences or similarities between these divergent cultural arenas in the way in which
children lived their lives, and the way that adults understood them. You must actually go to the museum
and examine the exhibits. I want you to bring proof that you did, too, such as a ticket stub, and include it
with your paper.
Option 2: The art of childhood
Western artists have represented children in a number of ways in a variety of different historical time
periods. In this paper, I would like you to go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, select paintings of
children that were painted in 2 separate historical periods that are at least 200 years apart. I would like
you to research the artists you have chosen, become acquainted with the style in which they painted, and
the historical time period in which they lived, and write an essay that explores how children were
represented in these works of art and how these paintings may be a window in time that may allow us to
better understand the way children lived their lives, and the way that adults understood them. You must
actually go to the museum and examine the exhibits. I want you to bring proof that you did, too, such as
the pin they give you for your lapel, and include it with your paper.
Option 3: Children’s Museum / Franklin Institute
Children have unique ways of viewing the world, that may be different from how we as adults view it.
For this paper, I would like you to go to the Please Touch Museum or Franklin Institute and write a
description of the exhibits and how they are designed to foster children’s development. I would like you
to research both how museums create exhibits for children, and how they use knowledge from the field
of cognitive development to help foster children’s intelligence. Please describe, for instance, how the
various museums take advantage of the various Vygotskian and Piagetian perspectives in the design of
their exhibits. I want you to bring proof that you went to the museum, too, such as the ticket stub.
Here are the websites of the museums so you don’t have to ask me their hours or how to get there. And
please don’t, because if you do, I’ll know you’re being lazy and inefficient. You can walk to any of
these from Camden by going across the bridge. There may be an admission charge, so bring money.
Penn’s Anthropology Museum: http://www.museum.upenn.edu/
Museum of Art: http://www.philamuseum.org/
Please touch: http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/
Franklin Institute: http://www2.fi.edu/
If you’ve gone to one of these for another class, or recently, I don’t care. You can go to a different
museum – I’m sure you haven’t been to all 4 of these in recent months. Don’t try to get out of this
assignment through ridiculous excuses: Do the assignment and be happy you’re having a cultural
experience. You might even bring a child with you.