1. Nathan Loynes
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2. 1. Explain and differentiate between
Positivism and Interpretivist Sociology.
2. Explain the origins of the social
construction paradigm
3. Point out key points of the ‘social
construction of childhood approach’
4. Consider the practice implications of
adopting a social constructivist stance.
Sources:
• Berger and Luckman, 1966, The social construction of reality, New York, Doubleday.
• Haralambos and Holborn, 2013, Sociology 8th Edition, London, Harper-Collins.
• Morrs, 2002, The several social constructions of James, Jenks and Prout,
International Journal of children's rights 10:39-54
• Stainton-Rogers, 2001, Constructing child concern, in Foley, Tucker, Roche, 2001
Children in society, Basingstoke, Palgrave. 2

3. Positivist methodologies argue it is
possible and desirable to study social
behaviour in similar ways to those
used by natural scientists to study
behaviour in the natural world.
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4. For positivists, knowledge consists
of identifying facts about how and
why people behave as they do and,
eventually, make connections
between different facts to produce
theories that explain behaviour.
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5. The social world is similar to the natural
world in terms of how it can be studied.
Human behaviour is, determined by rules
developed within social groups: The need
to socialise children leads people to
develop functional family groups.
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6. The needs of ‘society’ push people to behave in
certain ways. Hence, we experience the social
world as a force that exists over-and-above our
individual ability to change or influence it.
Like the force of gravity, positivists argue we
cannot escape social forces (such as roles or
norms).
Hence, much of our behaviour (effect) is
determined (caused) by the social structure.
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7. 7

8. How much do ‘agency’ do we have?
How much does the structure
determine our behaviour? 8

9. 9
Social interaction is based upon three principles;
Consciousness, - we are aware of ourselves and our relationships
with others.
Action: People make deliberate choices about how to behave
Unpredictability: because behaviour is not rational and predictable
we cannot study it in the way positivists claim.

10. 10
The social worlds consists of
and is constructed through
meanings. We are ‘meaning-
making machines’
Society does not exist
in an objective form.
Instead, it is
experienced
subjectively. We give
meanings to the way
we behave on a day-
to-day basis When we think of cause
and effect consequences,
such as society ‘forcing’ us
to think in certain ways or
do certain things, we are
constructing convenient
and fictional explanations.

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12. 12

13. 13
• The social world is
interpreted by different
people in different
situations in different
ways.
• Therefore, everything in
the social world is
relative to everything
else.
• In order to explain
reality, we must get
inside the heads of
those who make
descriptions and
explanations of reality

14. 14

15. Theorisation of childhood advocated by;
• Allison James
• Chris Jenks
• Alan Prout
[Source: Morss, 2002]
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16. Key Points:
Emerged in the 1990’s as a critique of overly
and accounts of childhood.
James, Jenks and Prout propose four different
paradigms (views) of childhood:
1. Tribal
2. Social Structural
3. Minority Group
4. Socially Constructed
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17. 4. The Socially Constructed Child
• Distinct from inadequate ‘pre-sociological’
approaches to childhood.
• Distinct from ‘transitional’ approaches (the
child as ‘becoming’).
• Increased the esteem associated with
‘childhood studies’, under the banner
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18. Constructing Child Concern
• Our attitudes towards children are socially
constructed.
• Our reality is not ‘out there in the world’ but
socially constructed.
• Hence, nothing may be taken for granted,
everything may be challenged, and everything
is relative.
[Source: Stainton-Rogers, 2001]
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19. Childhood as ‘original sin’
“Break their will betimes:
begin this great work before
they can run alone, before
they can speak plain, or
perhaps speak at all... make
him [sic] do as he is bid, if
you whip him ten times
running to effect it... Break
his will now and his soul will
live, and he will probably
bless you to all eternity”.
(Wesley, 1872, quoted in Jobling, 1978, p. 24)
[Source: Stainton-Rogers, 2001:28] 19

20. Childhood as ‘Innocence’
"Morning Awake ~ Bluebird and Child"
by Adelaide Hiebel (1886-1968)
Disney Pictures (1989) “The Little Mermaid”
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21. 1. Children are
entitled to a
‘good’
childhood.
2. Children are in
need of
protection.
1.Children
lack self
control.
2.Children
need to be
regulated
[Source: Stainton-Rogers, 2001] 21

22. How can constructionism be
applied in practice?
1. Pluralism: Embracing ‘conflict’, messiness and
ambiguity and differing perspectives
acknowledging that ‘one size doesn’t fit all’.
2. Participation: All ‘truths’ are merely ‘working
truths’. Decision making should be inclusive
(with children). Managing conflict can lead to
developmental growth.
[Source: Howe, 1994 in Stainton-Rogers, 2001]22

23. How can constructionism be
applied in practice?
3. Power: Sensitivity and awareness as to how
power operates in interpersonal relationships
(with children) and across society.
4. Performance: Awareness of ones own
practice and that of one’s organisation (i.e.
police, social working, education)
[Source: Howe, 1994 in Stainton-Rogers, 2001] 23

24. 1. There are different methods of studying the social
world.
2. Positivism assumes an external reality is knowable
3. Interpretivist approaches hold that reality is
constructed, and this construction shapes who we
are.
4. The social construction of childhood emerged in the
1990’s as an interpretivist perspective.
5. The social constructivist perspective enables both
students and practitioners to develop a critical stance
of meanings, expectations and institutions (such as
‘the state’) associated with ‘childhood.
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