Understanding children and young people - Essay Example

? UNDERSTANDING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ANALYSIS OF CHILDHOOD IMAGES of School and Location) (Date of Submission) Children studies in the field of psychology and the wider sociological perspective reveal many interesting themes of discussion about children. These studies and researches lead to further understanding of juvenile behavior and their portrayal in the society. Representations of norms, social values, political ideologies and images of the people are significant in shaping and re-shaping their statuses in the community. The play of images and representations of the different sectors in the society defines the ‘desired’ or probably the ‘accepted’ picture of the represented (Lacey 1998). In portraying the children, the role of the popular media and other social institutions like schools and welfare organizations is crucial in forming their identity and status in the society. Representations and images define and affect many aspects of children’s thinking and behavior. In this paper, two contrasting images of a child (see Appendix) will be presented and analyzed in order to see the connection between the represented subject and the representation itself. The portrayed social values will be identified and analyzed in terms of its implied meaning in context. Studies and researches interpreting children’s attitudes and behavior will be explored to understand better children and their representative images in the society. Lastly, the implications of the analysis will be defined in relation to its impact upon practicing informal and community teaching. The first picture (see Appendix) is an image of a child, more likely a male, having a cheerful casual smile. His hands are comfortably placed on his legs making a good sitting position pose. He wears nothing aside from his white underwear. The child looks clean and healthy. Like the first image, the second picture shows a young child wearing white underwear. However, in the second picture, the baby is portraying a different and contrasting image. In the picture, the child seems to be using drugs as he holds in his hand a syringe while pulling a string tied in his arm. Unlike the white studio background in the first picture, the second one portrays a corner of a dirty and somewhat abandoned place. Image Representation More often than not, images and other forms of representations are framed and molded according to what a person or certain community wanted to imply. Creating and posting images is not a neutral event and most likely, “images are created in order to communicate a message” (Lacey 1998, 5). In the first image, a ‘normal’ appearance and more socially ‘accepted’ picture of a child was portrayed while in the second one, the picture entailed a different and disturbing image. Analyzing the first picture, the characters of innocence, playfulness, naivete, and simplicity are implicitly shown. The innocent smile, the white clothing and background, and the simple pose somehow illustrate purity of the child’s thoughts and feelings. The first image is what people usually expect and want to see among children. It is showing a ‘standard’ image constructed by the society and media. In contrast to the first one, the second image portrays representation of drug addiction, abuse of freedom, unhealthy living and other implied negative values. The maker of the image could probably be depicting a picture showing futuristically the effect of dysfunctions in society if drugs and other related vices are not controlled. Also, the picture could simply be a diversion of a teasing imagination of the maker as he or she was thinking of a way on how to make fun with images of children. The image of the baby holding the drug paraphernalia could also be an exaggerated representation of the youth facing the risks of drug addiction in the society. Though the image shows a negative and ‘funny’ scenario, it entails a significant message about children in relation to the problem of drug addiction in the society. Representation and Meaning Understanding images and representation of children in society and media can help us comprehend the constructed and implied meaning given by the society upon the expected status and condition of children. The constructed images of children are affected by many factors present in a society (Fraser et. al. 2004). The aspects of norms, social values and power relations among members of a society can affect the representation and actual practices and beliefs of people towards certain events and issues (Fraser et. al. 2004). In sociology of childhood, the differing layers of social factors affecting their attitudes and behavior as represented in media and in schools are considered to be influential in their growth and identity formation. Thus, recognizing and analyzing factors shaping such representation will significantly help us understand more children and their condition in the society. Images and other forms of representation in media can affect the children (Oakes 2006) in the process of forming their identity and learning some behavior through observation and experience. In here, we can see how constructed representation can mold children’s way of thinking in relation to their conditions and status in their community. The concepts of innocence, naivete, simplicity, vulnerability, freedom and playfulness are some of the ‘normally’ expected conditions of children as portrayed in the first photograph. The happy and healthy living is also importantly shown in the picture. Such concepts and values are the message of the image. This is what the maker of the image and his or her society wanted to depict. The representation displays the ‘standards’ of the society in relation to the images they expected their youth to become. The image illustrates the product or the socially constructed picture of a child; that is, a “socially constructed child” (James et. al. 1998). The depicted scenario in the second image shows a deeper issue facing the society, particularly the youth. The baby in the picture as an exaggerated symbol of young people delivers a disturbing message that threatens the ‘standards’ and the constructed images the society provides as ‘guide’ for their people. Many studies about this perspective are being done in order to identify and seek solution for the said problem. Vices, sex, and violence are some of the major issues that are being reflected and represented in media and other social institution. The implied negative values that such kind of images carry complicates with the clashing social and political events affecting people particularly the children. Another issue that is not much related with the depicted violence and addiction in the second picture is the occurrence of event in the society and media that can lead to the development of the “hurried children” (Randisi n.d.). Letting children wear ‘inappropriate’ clothes and act as adult is one observed practice that produces hurried children. In the picture, the ironical image of a baby using drug parallels to such phenomenon as the child seemed to act inappropriately with his young age. The implicit message of the representation reveals how adult people (the photographer) can actually contribute to the negative adaptation of children in portraying themselves. As we can usually observe, it is the parents and other adult individuals around the children who sometimes insist to let their children wear clothes and other things that made them look like an adult. As primarily portrayed in media, children learn many things in a complex manner and adapt them in their thinking and attitudes. The complex play of meaning depicted by representations of many forms affect children in different ways. Directly and indirectly, children learn and adapt different social values intrinsically defined in images and representation in society and media. Understanding the implications of representations of children to their thinking and behavior, we can see how this recognition and analysis can help influence education and other institutions in the society in teaching and socializing with children. As we learn how complexly children are affected by different events in the society, we should be able to let them understand more appropriately and simply, the meaning and contexts of such events and representation. Educators should be more careful about choosing their teaching aids like pictures, drawings, films, and other learning materials. Teachers, parents, and social workers should know these matters in order to positively help children in learning good values while growing up. Consequently, the media should also make a move that will contribute to a more values-oriented growth of the youth in the society. Through analyzing images of children, we can see how they are particularly portrayed in a certain community. The context of the representation that is directly or indirectly implied in the images can influence children’s thinking and behavior. Images created and posted in media are usually the ‘expected’ portrayal the standards of the society dictate. Social values and other political and cultural forces present in a society affect the making of these images and thus complicate the whole process of representation and character formation among children. Understanding all of these, the tasks of the parents, guardians, educators, leaders and social workers to mold and influence children positively in accordance with the right values of the society are given importance as such are significant in building up a better society. Appendix Works Cited Fraser, S., Lewis, V., Ding, S., Kellett, M., and Robinson,C. (2004). Doing Research with Children and Young people. London: SAGE Publications Inc. James, A., Jenks, C., and Prout, A. (1998). Theorizing Childhood. Cambridge: Polity Press. Lacey, N,. (1998). Image and Representation. New York: Palgrave. Oakes, J. (2006). The Effect of Media on Children: a methodological assessment from a social epidemiologist. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota. Randisi, J. The Hurried Child. Retrieved April 30, 2011 from http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/The_Hurried_Child.html. (PLEASE INSERT IMAGES’ SOURCE) Read More