Research into Childhood

This Centre was established by the University in July 2006 to reflect the substantial body of ongoing research and scholarly activity relating to the Birth - 17 age range both within the Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education and across the University.  Whilst recognising birth - 17 years as the key focus for our work, we also acknowledge the many aspects of childhood that connect with adulthood.  The Centre is led by Professor Pat Broadhead (Early Years Education), Professor Nick Frost (Social Policy), Dr Dot Moss (Childhood) and Liz Webster (Health).

Centre Research Day Powerpoint File

The aims of the Centre are:

w        To undertake and disseminate research that demonstrates a commitment to children's rights, child-centred approaches and social justice for children

w        To encourage research that benefits all children

w        To promote children's participation in research as researchers

w        To conduct creative and eclectic research which addresses local, national and international issues regarding the experiences of children and the responses and expectations placed on children by family

w        To work ethically and contribute substantially to the development of ethical approaches in researching with children.

w        To promote multi-disciplinary and inter-agency approaches to research and dissemination

w        To develop a research community that includes all stakeholders - for example, children, practitioners, Local Authorities, voluntary organisations, students, colleagues across the Faculty and University, NGOs etc.

w        To interconnect research, scholarly activity and teaching

w        To disseminate widely in a range of ways to interested parties including children; to involve children in dissemination.

In our focus on children and young people, the Centre acknowledges the centrality and value of trans-disciplinary approaches. In order to understand the complexities of children's and young people's lives, within their peer relationships, their families, their communities and across and beyond their experiences within the State sector, it is now necessary to draw upon the intersections across disciplinary approaches. Currently, the Centre brings together theoretically informed work and aligned perspectives routed in the Arts and Arts Therapies, in Play and sociability and co-operation, in Children's Health, in Education including the Early Years of Education, in Sociology, in Social Policy, in Philosophy, and in Psychology. Our aim is to combine our expertise in framing new ways of knowing, and, as our aims make clear, to do this wherever possible in partnership with children and young people. The ethical debates around our work are recognised as substantial.