BA (Honours) Childhood and Youth Studies - Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

When you complete your studies you will have knowledge and understanding of:

• different theoretical perspectives that contribute to the study of childhood and youth, including biological, anthropological, psychological, sociological, legal, cultural and historical accounts, and how these inform effective communication with children and young people;
• the way ethnicity, religion, caste/class, gender, sexuality and disability shape childhood and youth; the impact of differentiation, inequality and exclusion; strategies designed to tackle these issues including safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people;
• policies and provisions relating to regulation/promotion of children and young people's status, welfare, health and learning,  including how these impact on home, school, work and other contexts, and an appreciation of the importance of multi-agency working;
• the principles underlying a rights approach to childhood and youth issues and how these may be applied to a variety of situations within international and national contexts including how these can support transitions;
• a range of approaches and methods used in research with children and young people.

Cognitive skills

When you have completed this degree you will be able to critically and systematically:

• analyse critically and systematically concepts, theories, policies and practices concerning children and young people;
• understand and comment critically on the contributions of different approaches to the study of childhood and youth;
• critically understand the significance and limitations of theory and research;
• formulate questions that can be answered through research, identify appropriate methods, analyse evidence and assess its significance;
• identify and critically reflect on connections and discontinuities between knowledge and its application in practical contexts, and how this might impact on effective communication and welfare promotion with and for children and young people;

Practical and/or professional skills

A degree in Childhood and Youth Studies will give you knowledge and analytical skills relevant to many careers in childcare, health and education; working with families; playwork, or working with young people. However, it is likely that most graduates will be required to undertake postgraduate training in specialist areas before progressing to employment in specialist fields. You should always check the relevance of your degree if you are considering teaching.

When you have completed this degree you will be able to:

• learn from personal experience and apply theory to practice issues and dilemmas and learn from feedback to improve performance;
• analyse features of contemporary childhood (and the cultural representation of childhood in different economic and socio-cultural contexts) in an historical and/or international framework including multi-agency working;
• identify and reflect on own values and position and those of others and assess their relationships to policy and practice;
• carry out project-based work on aspects of childhood studies, critically evaluating approaches to enquiry, drawing on appropriate methodologies and disciplinary perspectives and paying due regard to the importance of information sharing;
• accommodate to new principles, understandings and evidence and formulate and justify proposals for action in the light of these.

Key skills

When you have completed this degree you will be able to demonstrate the following skills:

• organise and articulate opinions and argument, taking account of appropriate conventions of academic writing;
• communicate accurately and clearly in styles adapted to the purpose and context including interpretation of numerical and graphical data when appropriate;
• read purposefully and critically, identifying and recording what is relevant from a range of resource material, and responding sensitively and critically to diverse viewpoints;
• analysse tasks, plan and manage time;
• learn from a variety of different media and different teaching methods