Social Policy and Childhood Play - Essay Example

?How different perspectives on childhood and the current social policy context impacts on children’s opportunity to play Introduction What is morallyright and socially acceptable is learnt from the childhood play. This realization has the long-lasting effect on the character of the children and reflected in their social activities in their adulthood. For example, if it is realized in childhood that cheating is neither morally right nor sustainable and there are chances of getting caught red-handed, they grow as socially responsible citizens. Sutton-Smith (301) stated “There are infant, preschool, childhood, adolescent, and adult players, all of whom play somewhat differently…and then there is the diversity of multiple kinds of equipments…” Therefore, the complexity in respect of policy making is inherent in providing opportunities to play in a meaningful way. There are some games universally played by children. Hide and seek which develops inquisitive nature and curiosity in the minds of the children and Police-thief games which is about battle between good and evil are popular among children in different forms of the game. ‘Play’ goes a long way in cultivating good habits, manners and behaviors in a person. Perspectives of Childhood The perspective of childhood is viewed from futuristic angle, ignoring the conditions, needs and changes required from the current perspective. Lesser and Russell stated “There has been a rapid growth in policy initiatives relating to children and young people and this has been dominated by a perspective which sees children primarily in terms of their and the nation’s future and not in terms of their present lives.” Childhood should not be viewed merely as a ground for preparing them for adulthood. The society tries to intervene in the process with the understanding that the framework is set with reference to learning, good habits, behaviors and manners in socializing. Health consciousness is also considered in this framework. However, we need to treat that opportunity to play is ‘childhood right’ though there are the attendant benefits and adult hood is related to childhood. According to Lee (2) “Whatever differences there may be between adults and children, contemporary sociologies of childhood urge that children be treated equally, at least in terms of recognizing that children have views and perspectives of their own.” The aspect of empowerment to the children is another important perspective. According to Alexander (10) empowerment, “is what bridges children’s wellbeing, children’s primary education and children’s rights. Empowerment - underpinned, as our child witnesses insist, by equity, empathy and expertise - is an educational cause well worth fighting for.” Social Policy Relating to Childhood “Alcock (2003) proposes a definition of social policy which suggests that it comprises both academic discipline and also a form of social action.” (Shardlow (14) Children believe they have the talents and courage to become kings. This belief which remains unspoiled till adulthood made many college drop-out students to establish great business empires in history. On the other hand, the seeds of evil take deep roots in their minds due to child abuse or discrimination manifest as cheating, fraud and terrorism in later years.  Study by Henn et al (1160) “revealed profound differences in the likelihood of criminal convictions or incarcerations between socialized and under socialized delinquents. The socialized delinquents have less chance of being either convicted of a crime or being imprisoned.” Shaping up at 5 is easier than reshaping up at 50. According to Hallett and Prout (83) children have been accorded a central role, both in creation of modern society and the autonomous individual and observed that the contemporary thinking and activities of the associations in child welfare confirm this trend. Play is an important part of children and youngsters. Sutton-Smith views ‘Play’ as an important element in “adaptive variability” (231) It is a psychological need for a healthy growth of an individual. Play is guided by personal interests and self motivation and driven by the children’s own instincts and ideas which shape up creativity in minds. However in the social life there are several barriers to play and practice needs to be directed toward eliminating these barriers. Social policy research identifies solutions to the issues we encounter in practice. According to Becker and Bryman (5) social policy research is both descriptive and prescriptive. The social policy should form the basis for maintaining the playgrounds, clearing hazards, discouraging discrimination for providing good environment and freedom for the children to play. “The playwork project started in the summer of 1999 and continues today” (Brown and Webb, 140). Playwork professional’s objective is to provide play opportunities to the children without any inhibition. Social Policy and Children’s Opportunity to Play In the children’s play natural leaders automatically get selected, since organization is a natural process at this stage with direction and control seamlessly integrated into their play. The development of leadership quality is important for a successful transformation of the society. However, the social setup, lack of opportunities to play and lack of infrastructure due to skyrocketing real estate prices in cities prevent children to unite and engage in playing. Due to different types of players, the level of complexity increases in policy making. Kilvington and Wood (4) stated “All children and young people need to play. The impulse to play is innate. Play is a biological, psychological and social necessity, and is fundamental to the healthy development and well-being of individuals and communities.” This is an important principle behind playwork. The policies and regulations have evolved over the period of time based on this concept. Play provision and Government Policy Children need facilities and equipments and space for their play activities. Play provisions are multifarious and include development of ideas for play, infrastructure, local play spaces, providing resources and skills for maintenance of the facilities established and making strategies for sustainable development in the long run by involving local stakeholders. The provision of infrastructure should ensure freedom and choice. Effective organization of play among children needs supervision for providing support and guidance. Play provides opportunities to the children for meeting and playing with their friends in the same age group. The play provisions need to be supported or complemented with other social aspects such as child health, child care, social equality and poverty alleviation. Sports development is an important area where Yorkshire Model is successful. DCMS (19) “The Yorkshire and Humber region has taken a truly cross sectoral approach to physical activity that is maximizing investment, marketing, co-ordination and the development of physical activity opportunities, and interventions to create a 1% year on year increase in physical activity participation, reduce health inequalities and increase quality of life.” Various policies and the regulations of the government with regard to play involve child welfare concerning care, health and opportunities to play without discrimination. The government is committed to promote play through various government departments and provide support services for dissemination of information relating to play through projects like Big Lottery Fund strategic play initiative. The local government agencies are actively participating in the implementation of various programs which include providing playgrounds and other infrastructure facilities to ensure greater play opportunities for children. It is also important to note that due to improved health conditions of the children, the benefits of these programs are closely linked to the government’s spending on health care in future as well. Sustainable economic growth and peaceful social climate could be achieved easily in a healthier society. However, co-ordination of the various departments for the common objective is not easy as the programs and policies relating to play have to compete with other demands for the government’s attention. Secondly, since the programs are long-term in nature, they may not be useful from the poll strategy point of view. However, political will is essential for success. Hendrick (32) stated “Where children as investments are concerned, few historians would deny that this has been the dominant perspective of them in the policy-making process, usually in relation to programs of a racial, educational, familial, medical, social and political nature.” Impact of Perspectives of Childhood on Children’s Play When strategies with regard to play implemented are not based on the perspective of the children, differences are bound to arise from the angle of the parents who are primarily concerned about safety, health and risks involved in school and other settings. According to some comments “it was related to parents’ differing attitudes about the professional competence of school and play-centre staff in relation to activities that they perceived to contain an element of risk to the children. Another simply commented that health and safety issues meant that they simply did not provide the same opportunities that they used to.” (Powell and Wellard, 40). Therefore, it is very important to involve the parents in policy formulations to mitigate the adverse effects of different perspectives of childhood on children’s play. However Powell and Wellard (38) also stated “In each case where negative comments were made the policies in question received favourable comments from other participants. The different opinions were believed to be the result of local circumstances: priorities within their area, individuals’ roles, their service’s remit and the roles and remits of other local authority departments and voluntary providers in relation to play”. These rival views have their own bases for argument which could not be disputed. However, the programs need to be reviewed on a constant basis to reorient them in tune with the differences in a particular environment for integrating the changes into the system wherever necessary for striking a balance to achieve the objectives of the policies. As per Article 19(e) of the Convention on the rights of the child, “children’s rights to be heard and to have their views given due weight must be respected systematically in all decision-making processes, and their empowerment and participation should be central to child care giving and protection strategies and programmes.” (UNICEF) The spirit behind the article is to uphold the rights of the children which need to be respected and understood well in the society and by the government. Social Policy Theory and Children’s Playwork Settings According to Brown’s Theory of Compound Flexibility, child development is closely associated with play. Compound flexibility is vital aspect in the role played by the playworkers, and it is “the interrelationship between a flexible/adaptable environment and the gradual development of flexibility/adaptability in the child” (53) Playwork should not be confused with entertainment or exercise for the children. Brown (1) stated “In a world where children's free play is being curtailed, the playworker's role is to create environments that enable children to experience the sort of play opportunities and experiences that have been lost from daily life.” Application of play to social policy should be fundamentally developed from the grass root level. Child Poverty Solutions – Wales states “Children’s rights need to be recognised by parents and the wider community as a way of supporting children and encouraging their physical and emotional development”. The system of policy formation and implementation of social welfare schemes involve several questions and numerous solutions with the increase in complexity of the issues and multiplicity of the view points. However, the willingness, ability and political will of the government are very important for success of the programs. Estes and Morgan (7) state “The combination of capital wealth, social wealth, and supplemental assistance, however, constitute the primary sources of wealth available to a society for engaging in social welfare activity and, for purposes of the theoretical model, must be taken into account in any analysis”. Segal (128) states “The magnitude of a social event comes to play, causing policy to be made in response. This is a variation of the window of opportunity theory.” In the case of workplay the contemporary debates on the issue put greater pressure on the government to initiate policy measures for a sustainable economic growth and peaceful social life in the country. In an ecological model of human behaviour, “Human beings are viewed as developing and adapting through transactions with all elements of their environments” (Zastrow, 49) Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) play an important role in developing local play infrastructure The Children’s Play Council (CPC) to provide policy and research activities, SkillsActive to develop a national framework for training and qualifications in play and provide regional training centres and The Children’s Play Information Service (CPIS) to provide information to professional sectors and to the public on play-related issues. (9) Contemporary social policy issues Lester and Russel stated “discussion of play has been consistently undervalued in public policy for children, which tends to focus on children’s development into adulthood while overlooking the importance of the physical, social, cultural and emotional worlds that children both inhabit and create in their daily lives.” Also they state that there is no coherent understanding of ‘play’ within social policy and that this reflects a lack of agreement among scholars and emphasize emphasis on building resilience in social policy. “Human development is a lifelong process (rather than one that stops when we reach adulthood) in which the brain, the body and the environment constantly influence each other to shape the individual” (Lester and Russel). Play lends flexibility, increases adaptability and helps develop personality of the children and shapes up the modern welfare society by increasing the level of tolerance among the people for peace in society. Poverty in the family of the children is an important dimension in making available the opportunities for children to play. ‘All children should have access to play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities’ and is aligned to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Articles 15, 31 and entitlements 8 and 9. (Child Poverty Solutions-Wales) The parents of the poor children lack the financial resources required to participate even if the opportunities are available to play. Therefore, their right to sports and play activities are denied in the social system. The local authorities have to identify and include these children in play activities. Dissemination of information to the parents is essential for creating awareness about the children’s rights in this respect. Brown (73) “Playwork has frequently run the risk of having a narrow sociological analysis: that only poor or relatively poor children need access to dedicated provision”. However, deficit in playwork situation happens to children with all backgrounds irrespective of their social or cultural background. Funding, Regulations and Practice Government’s strategy is backed by funding of ?235 million with aims as outlined in Fair Play which covers places for play, safety at play, parks and open space with access to all local children without any discrimination based on disability, gender or minority groups. The plan according to Davis (1) “over three years, is to create 3,500 play areas and 30 staffed adventure playgrounds or play parks across the country… Top-tier local authorities will be awarded funding to develop new play provision and embed child-friendly space within the plans and frameworks for their communities. In addition, the government has announced that from April 2009, the national indicator set that measures national priorities will include an indicator on what children think about the parks and play areas in their local area.” Regulations envisage employers’ responsibility for following safe practices in employment and severe action for sexual offences against children. The programs of Department for Children, Schools and Families Regulations (51) include “guidance for education settings, Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education.” Since small children are not able to express hardships they undergo, the high level of integrity and honesty on the part of the teachers and other staff is essential in schools and other settings and the employers need to be held accountable for effective control in the system. Zwozdiak-Myers (160) advocated “When the interests of children and young people are at the heart of your professional work, you will need to ensure that the knowledge, skills and understanding you bring to each situation is guided by good practice within your professional field.” Multi-agency working, sharing information and inter-professional working Department for Culture, Media and Sports (9) stated that there are several government agencies and NGOs like Department for Education and Skills; Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly Office of the Deputy Prime Minister); HM Treasury; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department of Health; Home Office; Department for Transport; Local Government Association; Children’s Play Council; Big Lottery Fund; and Kids, (an organisation which promotes and provides play opportunities for disabled children). This group has met regularly to discuss a range of issues affecting play and to promote discussion and strategic working. For example, “DH recognises that play is important for keeping children healthy. Outdoor play encourages them to be active and can have a significant impact on their general health and fitness. Play can help to tackle the rising levels of obesity among children and young people, so has an important place in the delivery of key objectives for both DH and the Government more broadly.” (DCMS, 25) CPIS focuses on library and information services on play. The joint efforts of multi-agencies which include government agencies and the other private and voluntary agencies like Natural England, a non-departmental public body enhance efficacy of various projects and programs through inter-professional working by sharing information with regard to social policy. Conclusion There is difference between play and recreation or entertainment. All plays have recreation or entertainment value. But, not all recreation or entertainment activities can be considered as plays. The system of education per se has lost its relevance to character. Therefore, for enhancing social values in the society, the government has to revisit the children’s world to lend support for reorienting their playwork setup in tune with the changes taking place in the country. The cooperation of the parents, local governments, NGOs, businesses and industries in this respect is essential for providing better environment for play to the children. References Becker, Saul and Bryman, Alan. Understanding Research for Social Policy and Practice: Themes, Methods and Approaches. Policy Press, Bristol, 2004. Brown, Fraser. Playwork: Theory and Practice (Ed.) McGraw Hill Education, Berkshire. 2003. Brown, Fraser. What is Playwork? Children’s Play Information Service, NCB. 2009. Web. 15 March 2013. Brown, Fraser. An evaluation of the concept of play value and its application to children’s fixed equipment playgrounds. Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, 2003. Brown, Fraser and Webb, Sophie. “Children Without Play”. Journal of Education, No. 35, 2005. Child Poverty Solutions – Wales. Core Aim 4 - Play, sport, leisure & culture. 2013. Web 5 March 2013 Child Poverty Solutions – Wales. Core Aim 6 - Safe Home & Community. 2013. Web. 3 March 2013 Davis, Lisa. Fair Play: A consultation on the play strategy. Play England, National Children’s Bureau, London. 2008. DCSF (2007) The Children’s Plan: Building Brighter Futures. London, Department for Children, Schools and Families. Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Time for Play: Encouraging Greater Play Opportunities for Young People. 2006. Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Playing to Win A New Era for Sport. 2008. Estes, Richard, J and Morgan, John, S. WORLD SOCIAL WELFARE ANALYSIS: A THEORETICAL MODEL. International Social Work (1976). 19(2):3-15. Hallett, Christine and Prout, Alan. Ed. Hearing the Voices of Children: Social Policy for a New Century. Routledge Falmer, London. 2003. Henn, Fritz, A., Bardwell, Rebecca and Jenkins, Richard, L. Juvenile Delinquents RevisitedAdult Criminal Activity. Archives of General Psychiatry, 1980;37(10), pp.1160-1163. Hendrick, Harry. Child Welfare and Social Policy. Policy Press. Bristol, 2005. Kilvington, Jacky and Wood, Ali. Reflective Playwork. Continuum International Publishing Group, New York, 2010. Lee, Nick. Childhood and Society: Growing up in an age of uncertainty. Open University Press, Buckingham. 2001. Lester, Stuart and Russell, Wendy. Play for a Change. Play England, National Children’s Bureau, London. Powell, Sacha and Wellard, Ian. Policies and play: The impact of national policies on children’s opportunities for play. Play England. Play England, National Children’s Bureau, London. 2008. Alexander, Robin. THE PRIMARY REVIEW: EMERGING PERSPECTIVES ON CHILDHOOD. Keynote lecture presented at the conference on Childhood, Wellbeing and Primary Education organised by the General Teaching Council for England in conjunction with the Children’s Society Good Childhood Inquiry and the Primary Review. 17-3-2008. Web. 29 February 2013 Segal, Elizabeth, A. Social Welfare Policy& Social Programs: A Values Perspective. Cengage Learning, 2010. Shardlow, Steven, M., The Social Policy Context of Practice Learning, Handbook for Practice Learning in Social Work and Social Care, Second Edition, Ed. Lishman, Joyce. 2007. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London. Sutton-Smith, Brian. The ambiguity of play. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1997. Sutton-Smith, Brian. Play and Ambiguity. The Game Design Reader: a rules of play anthology, Ed. Salen, Katie and Zimmerman, Eric. The MIT Press, Cambridge. UNICEF. Children’s Rights. Web. 2 March 2013 Zastrow, Charles. Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare: Empowering People. Cengage Learning, Belmont. Zwozdiak-Myers, Paula. The Reflective Practitioner, Childhood and Youth Studies. Exeter. Read More