What Does Helen Mayall Mean When They Refer to Childrens Agency as Either Creative or Transformative - Essay Example

CHILDHOOD MATTERS (WHAT DOES HELEN MAYALL AND OTHERS MEAN WHEN THEY REFER TO CHILDREN’S AGENCY AS EITHER CREATIVE OR TRANSFORMATIVE By Name Name of the Class Name of the Professor Name of the School City, State 4 October, 2014 1. Introduction Children are the future leaders and drivers of the future economy in any one nation. In a changing world where globalization has altered various discourses in life, children now more than ever need special attention right from the social settings, in their early age to foster their wellbeing and proper development. Comparing the former centuries with the last three, there has been a great to transition child care and protection within nations and across the international level. The manner in which children in the society were perceived and attended to, compared to the contemporary times demonstrates the realignment of societies with civilization and enhanced accountability from families, social institutions and the governments. Today, children have varied protection arising from their rights as stipulated in the United Nations conventions. No doubt it has allowed many children across the world to evade the victimization from their seniors’ irresponsibility and violation. Numerous cases in the local and international level indicate the dilemmas that young children and teenagers experience as they grow up from their childhood. Experiences of social difficulties during development for children are normal, but a sensitive period where they need to learn how to navigate the problems, cope, learn from them, and become more aware of their self, capability and confidence (Eastman, 2007). In most cases children have been deprived of their rights, abused, or neglected by their families, teachers, or caregivers among others. Because of their young age, their needs and demands have in cases been taken for granted, and sometimes poorly represented or parents overridden their decisions. Their voices have been oppressed and denied the autonomy they deserve as active participants of the social issues experienced (Lansdown, 2011). Children’s agency is not a new concept; it aims at promoting children welfare and ensuring that children have the ability to make informed choices, fully participate in matters concerning their lives, confident of themselves to be assertive and stand up for themselves (Stonehouse, 2012). During early years of childhood, children are entirely dependent on others (parents, elderly siblings, and care givers and teachers in schools) for their survival and basic needs. They learn to make sense of their surroundings, gain confidence and control over themselves and eventually strike out on their own in their socialization and connections in the societies. They are learn to be independent and in control of their actions. Based on the Early Childhood Australia it’s such a time “when children feel that they can influence events or are in control of things that happen around them” that are said to have a sense of agency (2013, p. 1). It takes time to allow them make mistakes and learn from them, express their perceptions of world and ideas, explore the world, voice up their opinions and influence others’ decisions. You would agree with Nijnatten to say that “agency is a complex matter, a human attribute displayed in human development, in human interaction and social structure” (2013, p. 2). Because children are social beings, it is through the strong relations and connections they have with those around them that will enable them to develop their sense agency, identity, skills, characters and strengths among others. Their interaction with the teachers in schools through learning and teaching activities facilitates the transfer of agency from the teachers to the pupils, which is critical in developing of the innovative and collective creative abilities (Yamazumi, 2014). Children’s agency is also a transformative process which could be stimulated by learning experiences in different institutions. Tisdal, Gadda and Butler states that “transformative experiences among children occur from the inner (personal) and outer (one’s self towards others)” (2014, p. 30). This ability to independently be able to construct and gradually change one’s life and activities depicts a transformational agency within children that is future oriented. Children are empowered not only in their social, but economically, politically and culturally to be able to question, critically reason and utilize strategies that could transform them for a sustainable future. 2. Structure vs Agency debate The definitions of the terms are varied upon applications, due to the different meanings and conceptual ambiguities influenced by ideological commitments constructed over the social life. For example, there is a distinction when theorists refer to social structures as institutions, relations between states and classes, a system of production, equated to power elements and political instruments, or meaning material circumstances (Hays, 1994). Regardless of the meaning attached, it’s clear that children’s lives are shaped by structural context within which they live, which helps explain their diverse experiences in childhood. Agency on the other hand seems to be defined in terms of what structure is not in relation to the social systems. Hays argues that in contrasting the two, their interconnected nature is neglected by the fact that the conception of structure perceived as constraining, while agency is considered un-structured component of social life (1994). Out of these two concepts, the question arises as to whether individuals have autonomous control over their own actions or whether it’s the social forces/circumstances that exert control over their behaviour. 2.1 Structure as constraint and agency as freedom Children as active social agents brought up in the social institutions governed by certain rules, norms and cultures that shape their behaviour. The structures are what enable them to have a sense of identity and serves as the foundations to the understanding of their world. However, the same structures and how it organizes the society puts constraints on how individuals should behave, which limits some of their opportunities. Tan views the “structure of society to exist above and over human actions”, such that it exerts a unidirectional force on individuals (n.d., p. 39). For example, due to gender stratification, there is an expected conduct for males and females, which over time resulted in limited capacities for women in the workplace. In contrast, humans are their own agents and with capacity to make active decisions based on the alternative choices freely. The capacity to act for oneself gives freedom to follow their desires, beliefs and contemplate on their actions. 2.2 Structure as collective and agency as individuals It appears that structure is a result of organizations and interactions of different human activities. In one perspective, social structures are created by humans to guide their thinking and conduct; basically, without humans, structures would not exists. For example in family structures, human relations are organized collectively along each other, their cultures and environment. Humans tend to participate in the social structures and collective habits while responding to the routines. The perspective for agency is individual centric seeking to rehabilitate the role of individual efficacy. Agents rest with the sovereignty to act, make a difference and influence others (Oswell, n.d.). An independent individual is capable of making rational choices at a given social situation and work on preferred autonomous plan. 2.3 Interaction between structure and agency Research on both structure and agency concept indicates their strong purpose in people’s experiences in the social communities. Both shape human experiences and interact with each other in their functions. It’s the foundation of social structures that enables human/children’s agency, while social agents constitute the social systems and anytime they act within the structures, they assist in re-producing it (Tan, n.d.). This concurs with Antony Gideon’s argument that social structures do exist as much as agency, but are capable of being altered through the latter. 3. Children’s agency as creative Every child needs education to foster learning necessary for their future success. Children need to actively engage and collaborate with educational systems for their cognitive and social development. They are placed under the school systems to help shape their thoughts, build on their confidence, enable them develop their sense of belongingness and identity, and be active contributors to the society based on their knowledge. According to Sharp, creativity among children need adopt a broader definition with components like “originality, productivity of different ideas, imagination, capacity to deliver valuable outcomes, and problem solving” (2004, p. 5). This presumes that every child is capable of creativity at specific stage in development and broadens creativity to a process than limitation of a product. 3.1 Arts engagement and creativity Education has been a paramount system for every child to go through; today there various schooling systems that aid in helping abnormal, physically disabled and normal children to learn different skills. You would agree that from the very tender age, children have learnt and utilized artistic expressions to assist them understand and become aware of their environment. Children’s agency has been facilitated children to build on their self-esteem and confident of their interpretations and work. For some, by age of ten, they have already established career interest based on earlier learnt art skill. Most of the western educational systems have allowed children to decide early on their career path they choose based on their skill and preference. Their exposure to art rich environments provides them “with the opportunity to respond to each other’s creativity and desire for recognition of self” (Venables, n.d., p.1). Art experiences for the children is a way of learning that allows them engage in active thinking and imagination to identify with picture that makes sense in their world. They exercise their mind to explore on varying possibilities of a sketch while relating what they can see, with what is in their mind. The teacher has a profound role to ensure they interact positively with the children, introducing them to different phenomenon and ideas, while enabling the transfer of agency step by step till they are capable of constructing visual and verbal expressions articulately. Children who have learnt to be in control develop greater self-esteem as they get to put their emotions into creative and visual arts. As they further explore in arts, they internalize the art and perfect their skills for enhanced creativity and innovative works. Agency at this stage becomes liberation of the norms and boundaries of learning and cultures such that children can able to apply and construct new artistic expressions based on their new realization (Ratner, 2000). Creativity in artistic expressions of a child is more of a profound thinking and a process where the child have the freedom to develop their thoughts without necessarily been guided by the care giver in the situation. Children will tend to express themselves first through artistic expressions in early life before they get to know other modes of communications, right from sign language, sketching, paintings, to use of symbols and detailed expressions as they mature up (DeBord, n.d.). Considering that childhood is a stage that each enter and leave with time, there are certain expectations that guardians or teachers have at specific age. For example, a 4 year old child is expected to be able to make sketches and point out parts; however, for them to be in a position to be able to use colors or symbols to elaborate on their drawings demonstrates the awareness and confidence in their work and their kevel of creativity. Children’s agency is enabled by their various developments, especially the active imagination and cognitive aspect that allows them to express their experiences where they cannot write and even observe their work. 3.2 Possibility thinking and creativity Children are part of the greater society faced by numerous challenges that need effective solutions for its sustainability. Although society has given more attention to adults in matters regarding the expansion of communities’ social capital, children also experience, comprehend and create social capital. Their voice and ideas concerning policy making and practices is vital for the benefit and balance of the entire community. Other than using parents’ decisions and information as proxies for children’s needs, research should engage children in certain issues to acquire and understand their needs as competent beings capable of influencing policies made in the society. Children’s agency is creative is the sense that minor’s participation in services, organizations and community practices enables them to raise their opinions and ideas on issues affecting them; provide unexpected answers and possible plans they prefer, while reflecting on their needs and expressing their worries (Ashford, n.d.). The ability to express themselves at their age allows the responsible team to acquiring children’s contributions to policies, and understands whether they support the outcome of a given policy or not. From the gathered information, children are able to influence policies formulations as the power is extended to them to contribute their views and shape the perspective of a societal plan. For example their possible voice of opinions and unexpected answers could demonstrate their struggles and aid formulation of a policy that addresses their special needs among other adults. It is necessary that children’s competence is taken into account when developing policies that impact on them and other societal interventions. Based on ARACY, the involvement of “children’s agency and their knowledge would allow sufficient understanding of the social dynamics and productive policies and interventions” (2008, p. 18). Children not only get empowered, but are encouraged to stand up for their rights and construct greater ideas and questions that would challenge the greater society and system of governance in the situation. 3.3 Children’s play and creativity From the infant age, parents attempt to interact with the children for their developmental benefit. Different games have various benefits that proceed to enhance their intellectual abilities and learning. Simple plays such as bubble games allow children to be active in tracking other biological eye development. It’s only with time through repetitive plays that they learn how things work in the real world, enhance their reasoning and literacy and to express themselves through games interactions. For example, children take more time to verbally communicate words when isolated from others than when exposed to socialization with other kids. She/he can easily learn to call people by their names as they hear others say. Games help improve the child’s wellbeing, mental health, increase sense of self and control, enhance problem solving, improve confidence, and help heal and manage their conditions (Hall and Kaduson, 2002). Through such agency, they can freely express their emotions and other reaction in the course of their play. Their agency implies that they are in a position to identify their interests and hobbies in their plays and interactions. However, games are not only a source of pleasure, but a way of learning, promoting brain development and specific cognitive skills. For example puzzle games and chess allow children to develop their mathematical thinking and reasoning (Berman, 2011). Unconsciously they enhance their mathematical capabilities and learn to apply creative solutions to problems to daily lives problems. Improved agency through plays is a way of raising children’s IQ and enabling them acquire basic skills which are vital for their creativity. You have perhaps experienced children who took particular interests in toy cars/trains. Their curiosity on locomotive system, interests and sense of agency with time drove them to create their own versions of vehicles, where they place much caution on the wheels. Their sense of agency is both creative and productive. A research conducted by Wulf, Hinko and Filkestein indicated that children who took control over their activities tended to practise more communication, increased creative artistic skills (drawing and writing) and practiced more expert science behaviour that could lead to their positive science identity (n.d.). 3.4 Broader learning and creativity Children are dependent on different forms of learning approach to be able to acquire a sense of agency. Communication is fundamental and depending on the mode/format, children would learn and acquire agency competencies such that they can mimic the sounds, orals, actions, visuals and graphic entities to be producers of creative contents (Bjorgen, 2014). The entities they view or hear remain in their memories either in the short/long term. The possibilities of them acing out the scene they saw or formulating a version of it in reality is hence not limited because of the already active construct in their memory. That is why it’s possible for children to develop interesting stories they can either narrate to friends or write down in literature courses out of coined imaginations or association of past memories. Based on cognitive development theories, as children grow older, their way of thinking tend to change and improve their skills at abstract reasoning (Bandura, 1989).Their sense of agency enables them to be creative artists in musical, drawings, paintings and technical activities of real life experiences, even without reference to existing works. As an educator, you will experience creative works from students with high degree of originality and capable of competing with the creative works of adults. 4. Children’s agency as transformative The nature of the global/local challenges and conflicts in the society has helped alter the children’s positive perception of their surroundings. Some children are born and raised in areas of conflict and violence from the political and social space, while others experience poverty and deterioration of their living environments when the economic and ecological systems they live in are poor and unmanageable. As early as possible, children with a sense of agency get an active role that aid in bringing about transformation in society for sustainability in their future lives. According to Wesley, Tjornbo, Schultz, Olsson, Forke, Crona and Bodin, children have the capacity in a social ecological system (SES) to create a new system that invokes change, “when the ecological, political, social, or economic conditions make the existing system untenable:” their agency is crucial element of sustainable transformation (2013, p.1). As they develop, they come to age when they can distinguish right and wrong and learn to take resilient positions after intense thinking that can change and shape the dynamics of the broader system. 4.1 Children’s agency and conflict resolutions The caregivers and social setting and manner children are brought up have great impacts in a child’s perception of themselves, others and the immediate environment. No doubt the media takes a fore front position in influencing both positive and negative reactions of children. Today children are more likely to refer to media contents/reports at particular situations; however, most of the time it exerts outsized influence on children’s perceptions and aid in adoption of inconvenient truths (Ku Leuven, 2014). Similarly, children do learn and adopt most of their behaviours from those close to them. Some get to be quite abusive, violent, prejudicial and other negative constructs they pick in their unconscious tender age. These behaviours are subjected towards the ‘others’ in their socialization process, until the child is capable of gaining a better insight, be aware of their words, reasoning and be able to construct new meanings in their world. At a stage in their development, they are able to exercise self-reflection, be in control of their actions and take learn to take responsibilities. They are slowly gaining their sense of agency and changing their learning perspective to better their relationship and perception of others. With children’s agency, young individuals who had adopted negative constructs of behaviours from their environment gain knowledge and clear perspective, and loosen up from illiteracy; hence they are capable of deconstructing previous identities and reconstructing new perceptions, capabilities and competencies that help solve existing conflicts and promote social reconciliation (Anjarwati, 2013). Children’s sense of agency is hence able to transform both them and influence societal experiences by closing the gap that existed in a culture of conflict and differences. They change their perceptions to accept and treat others equally, and developing better relations regardless of the religious beliefs, culture, social differences. 4.2 Children’s agency and desistance from crime Considering that children acquire specific sense of agencies at varying timings, explains the different social behaviours among children of different ages. Some are lucky to be born in able families that can provide the basic social amenities while others are not. Some will go to school, experience luxury and learn standard behaviours expected of them early in time, while others experience poverty, live in poor housing conditions and lack education and suffer hunger enough to push them into the streets and delinquent behaviours. There exist a common notion that links crime and delinquency to broken homes, poverty, due to parental absence and control and families’ poor economic situation to cater for their children’s need (McCord, 2007). Unfortunately, children’s agency may produce two outcomes depending on the children’s situation; one they may break away from their guardians control into delinquency or gain control of their actions to aid in reform from deviancy. Most children are influenced by peer pressure and social circumstances to engage in delinquent behaviours in their early childhood. From repetition of certain behaviours like picking others items without permission, they internalize the behaviour and fail to acknowledge their acts can be interpreted as theft. It may take serious actions like experience of similar acts been punished for the child to gain conscious of their actions and eventually a sense of agency to refrain from the petty crimes. Based on King’s study, human agency facilitates envisioned goal of desistance from past criminal habits and behaviours (2014). Children are able to construct and change into new personal identities and maintain them through social support. Agency inspires their change, enhancing their realization ability and understanding that something needs to be done for actual transformation and re-integration with the social order in the society. In extreme cases, where transformation from delinquency and crime is not achieved through early sense of agency in childhood, parents can exercise other measures to discipline their children. For example timeouts, allowing consequences and taking away privileges to instil awareness of right and wrong and self-control (DCF, 2014). Unmanageable children develop sense of agency under juvenile criminal justice systems, which would aid their transformation of behaviours in confinements. Just like adult criminals, McNeill, Anderson, Colvin, Overy, Sparks and Tett state that juveniles’ detention and provision of range of projects could “stimulate their engagement with learning, improve literacy skills and demonstrate their potential to support rehabilitation” (2011, p.1). With time the children are able to develop coherent social relations and realise their ultimate aspiration in life in the course of rehabilitative process. Basically, due to the high level of efficacy developed, children can regain control of their future, try reflect on their past behaviour, have a sense of purpose in life and take on the path of redeeming themselves and desisting from crimes henceforth (McNeill, Farrall, Lightowler and Maruna 2012).Some of who have succeeded have been rewarded for positive conduct and self-determination, received back to society and undergone a transition in life. 4.3 Children are agents of change The influence that seniors and guardians have on children is mostly linked to their level of authority. As a result most children tend to obey and would accept the actions of those in authority out of coercion under their directives. Comparing countries around the globe you realize that where children participation in community and governance issues is encouraged fosters prosperity in diverse areas affecting children and community policing. Traditional cultures and oppression of children’s voiced opinions has been a hindrance of childhood’s early realization of agency. While parents act as the first educators of the children, educational system is given the responsibility of engaging children with transformative learning for the children to make an impact in sustainable community development (Percy -Smith and Burns, 2012). It is through learning that children develop recommendable skills and acquire imaginative ideas and agency necessary to transform their lifestyle. From the UNESCO reports “ECEfS recognizes that young 20 children have capacities to be active agents of change now, as well as into the future, and that early learning is important for shaping environmental attitudes, knowledge and actions” (2008, p. 20). 4.4 Impact of children’s agency on health Learning enables children to enhance their understanding on issues regarding their rights such as education and health, which is one way for teachers’ transfer of agency to the children for their empowerment. Transformative agency has been experienced in schools across numerous countries, where children are taught different concepts like health, nutrition, hygiene and environmental care, which take spread to their parents and siblings; in the end they demonstrate greater knowledge of the issues, get concerned, and improve their practices and lifestyles (Davis, 1994). Their sense of agency helps them create awareness in the society of the health, community and care factors to live in a healthy and sustainable environment. References Anjarwati, E., 2013. Peace Education Through Story telling: Social  Reconciliation  and  Intercultural  Dialogue  Among  Children  in  Southern  Thailand. [online] Available at: [Accessed 9 October 2014]. ARACY, 2008. Children’s agency in communities: A review of literature and the policy and practice context. [online] Available at: [Accessed 7 October 2014]. Ashford, A., n.d. Involving Children in Decision Making: Your Quick Practical Guide. [online] Available at:[Accessed 7 October 2014]. Bandura, A., 1989. Social Cognitive Theory. [online] Available at: [Accessed 9 October 2014]. Berman, J., 2011. 10 Reasons Plays Makes Babies Smarter. [online] Available at: [Accessed 8 October 2014]. Bjorgen, A. M., 2014. Boundary Crossing and Learning Identities – Digital Storytelling in Primary Schools. 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