Professor: Larissa Stiglich
4 credits
We’ve all heard the refrain. Whether it’s your grandpa’s stories of walking uphill both ways through a blizzard to school, or your parents’ childhood memories of playing outside unsupervised all summer long (not an iPad in sight), it’s clear that kids these days have it different. But what we know about childhood—or what we think we know—is constantly changing. Indeed, before the 17th century, children were thought of simply as “miniature adults,” with all the same cognitive and emotional capabilities as full-grown humans. It wasn’t until the 20th century that industrialized countries passed robust legislation prohibiting child labor. And today, the pace of change is only accelerating. What was considered the best approach to parenting when you were born is no doubt already out of date.
In this course we will engage in a liberal arts-inspired exploration of childhood. We will use different disciplinary lenses—from early childhood education and psychology to children’s literature and history, and more—to examine how our ideas of what it means to be a kid have changed over both time and space. We will develop our discussion, research, and writing skills as we delve into different topics relating to childhood, like gentle parenting, siblings, screentime, curfew, and many others. These skills, in turn, will lay the foundation for your success in your future interdisciplinary and liberal arts coursework.