Considering a Course in Child and Youth Studies?
Child and Youth studies are the study of children’s lives and the experiences of children through childhood. Everyone has their own experience of being young and having a childhood but studying the childhood and experiences of other people allows for a better understanding of the social and cultural experiences children from all backgrounds face and the methods and techniques that may help children to deal with any negative experiences or to thrive.
The understanding of childhood and the nature of childhood across several variables has real relevance for anyone who wants to work with children or youth in a variety of fields. It is also highly beneficial for policymakers and legislators who are making the policies that directly affect children and have an influence over their development or even for parents who want to have a better understanding in general of their children or of children they may be thinking about fostering or adopting.
The great news is that there are many Child and Youth Studies courses currently available for you to get started.
What are Child and Youth Studies?
Child and Youth studies involve learning about youth across time, place, and community. It is about how young people experience their everyday lives and about the practices, approaches, and methods involved in working with young people.
It can be difficult to have a full understanding of the meaning of childhood and youth when it is continuously changing through history, culture, and other conditions that shape, restrict or promote the experiences of young people. Through Child and Youth studies you will be introduced to a range of knowledge disciplines including sociology, social work, psychology, education, and history.
Knowledge about children and youth from different perspectives and professions allows for a deeper understanding of the basis of childhood which will give you a firm foundation to ultimately prepare you to improve the lives of children and youth through activities, intervention, or research.
What Will I learn by taking a Child and Youth Studies course?
- You will learn about specific skills and knowledge around children and their development.
- You will learn about how to work with young children and their families.
- You will learn about the social and language skills of children and their emotional development such as how they learn self-control and how to resolve conflict.
- You will learn about the development of children and how it can differ in various settings such as school, family, and community, and different nations or cultures.
- You will learn about all of the subjects that impact childhood studies, child development, children’s needs such as the historical, social, and cultural issues that impact the lives of children.
- You will learn about issues such as migration and globalization and the effects they can have on the mental health of children.
- You will learn about new-age technologies like social media and how they affect children both positively and negatively.
Career Opportunities
After completing your course in Child and Youth Studies, you can expect to work in Child Protection, Youth Probation and Corrections, Family Support Work, Child, and Youth Support Work, Community Outreach, Special Needs, Early Childhood Education, Occupational Therapy, Child Health care, Play Therapy, Local or National Government.
If you’re serious about doing a course in Child and Youth Studies and would like to learn more about the various aspects of childhood and development, check out courses in the Nightcourses.co.uk national course finder.
