How can we understand children, childhood and youth today? What influences children's development into early adulthood? What roles do families, society and culture play? This introductory module offers fascinating insights into children's and young people's lives. Through anthropology, sociology, childhood and youth studies and psychology, you'll explore themes including mental health, education, diverse families, global childhoods, adolescence, development, and children's rights. You'll learn about the factors that shape children and young people's experiences and their emotional, physical, intellectual, social and cultural development from birth to early adulthood. You'll learn about these thought-provoking topics through audio, video and interactive online materials.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | E104 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| No examination | |
| No residential school | |
This online module will be attractive to anyone with an interest in and concern for children and young people, including those who work with children and/or young people and who want to learn more about contemporary theories and research from a range of different disciplines that help us to understand children, childhoods and youth. The module draws on research and theories from childhood and youth studies and psychology. This interdisciplinary perspective is broader than mainstream psychology or childhood/youth modules. It is designed to introduce you to different ways of thinking about the influences on children's and young people's lives and their development. This module is divided into four blocks, each comprising 5-6 weeks of supported study. A 14-chapter book, An Introduction to Childhood and Youth Studies and Psychology (eds. Cooper & Tatlow-Golden, 2023), accompanies the module, and every student receives both a physical copy and a PDF.
Block 1 introduces childhood and youth studies and psychology. The units consider some of the complex influences that shape children's and young people's development, including their embodied experiences and how their lives are explored and understood through research.
Block 2 considers social and emotional development, spanning the development of the self (Or the answer to the question, 'who am I?'); the role of diverse families in children and young people's lives; the many factors that influence how we can understand and support children and young people's mental health and psychological wellbeing; and the role of learning, schooling and education in children and young people's lives.
Block 3 addresses aspects of diversity in contemporary childhoods and youth. It introduces ideas about the social and cultural ideologies of childhood and how these can affect children and young people's lives. It considers core issues of disability, race, global childhoods with a focus on the global South, and gender in children and young people's lives.
Block 4 discusses transitions and change in childhood and youth. The units consider children and young people's new 'hybrid' digital lives as well as the transition from childhood and youth through adolescence and into adulthood.
In addition to the book, there are weekly interactive online activities throughout the module to support your learning. The audio and video resources have been specifically designed, recorded, filmed, and written to support the book and expand your insights. They help explain some of the key concepts and theories that the module teaches. They also include personal accounts from experts, parents, and children and young people themselves on important topics so that you can link ideas about childhood and youth with 'real life' issues.
There are no formal academic or other requirements to study this module.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
If you would like to learn more about childhood studies, we highly recommend reading Kehily, M. J., An Introduction to Childhood Studies (3rd edn, Open University Press, 2015). This book gives an excellent and very accessible summary of the field of childhood studies.
You may also wish to explore these free OpenLearn resources to prepare for this module:
You will receive a printed full-colour book, the E104 Module Reader, An introduction to childhood and youth studies and psychology. It has 14 chapters, one on each of the key module topics and an introduction to studying childhood and youth.
You'll also have access to a module website, which includes:
The audio recordings, films, and designed activities in this module feature OU academics, experts and professionals from across the UK's four nations and Ireland, and from around the world. They also feature children and young people, and those who work with them, from the UK, Ireland and internationally.
All resources and content for this module, including the Reader, are designed bespoke to support your learning, and are written by experts in the field. If you are new or returning to higher education, you'll find the online activities include integrated study skills to support your learning.
You'll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module. They'll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. Where possible, we'll make recordings available. While they're not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate.
The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone. The Accessibility Statement below outlines what studying this module involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
Most of this module's study materials are available online. Online materials are composed of pages of text with images; audio and video clips of various lengths (all with transcripts/subtitles); diagrams; interactive media; animations; and multiple-choice self-assessed quizzes. Online materials also include links to external resources, online forums and online tutorial rooms. We provide printed materials for some module content.
This module provides a range of online learning events and online tutorials. Although not compulsory, tutorials will help you consolidate your learning.
The study materials contain a link to a considerable number of photographs and some diagrams. Most are illustrative. A small number of these are an important part of the study of this module. We provide descriptions for all essential figures.
You will be required to search for, and make use of, third-party material online. We can provide alternatives for required/assessed research material to enable you to meet the learning outcomes of the module.
This module has Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs), which must be submitted online via the OU electronic TMA system; interactive computer-marked assignments completed online; and an End-of-Module Tutor-Marked Assignment (emTMA).
You'll receive feedback from your tutor on your submitted Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs). This will help you to learn from your TMA performance. You should refer to it to help you prepare for your next assignment as it will provide direct guidance on what to address in order to improve.
We structure all University modules to a set timetable and you'll need time-management skills to keep your studies on track. We'll support you in developing these skills.
Introduction to childhood studies and child psychology (E104) starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2025.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2030.
This course is expected to start for the last time in October 2030.