Whenever adults speak about children or make plans for them, their actions are based largely on assumptions about what constitutes the nature of a child and what a child's place in society is. Often forgotten is the fact that these assumptions are shaped by both time and circumstance, and have gone through considerable change in the history of the western world. This thesis attempts to provide a .broad background out of which teachers, curriculum developers, and those involved in * child study' can reflect upon their assumptions about childhood. While the approach is primarily historical, the work is not meant to be a chronological tracing so much as a highlighting of themes in history thought to have a bearing on current debates. In general, the themes include such matters as child sacrifice, infanticide, and aspects of child rearing practice prior to the Renaissance, as well as views of the child emerging from debates about human nature discussed through the intellectual formulations of Renaissance humanism, the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the rise of Science. In 'antiquity', infanticide, child sacrifice, and the exposure of infants were often related to concerns about property and an assumption that children and adults somehow shared different natures. The writings of the Church Fathers, particularly concerning baptism, witnessed a movement stressing the existential equality of old and young. The humanist revival beginning in the late Middle Ages saw a powerful linking of ancient classical education with religious piety, such that the child became increasingly an object of pedagogical concern. For the humanists, education would mean an enriched awareness of providential design as well as a more civilized society. For the reformers the ultimate lesson for the child was to understand man's utter dependence on divine graciousness. As such, reformation views of the child often became overlaid with strong moral intent. With the Enlightenment and the rise of Science came a gradual demystification and secularization of human endeavour such that discussions of man's nature and destiny were carried on without the former classical and theological referents, those being replaced with a concern for natural law, rationalism and the inevitability of human progress. Within this context, childhood was viewed as a time of construction (Locke) and/or a time of natural innocence (Rousseau). Beginning with Darwin, a definite 'scientific' value is assigned to childhood whereby as an isolable entity the child becomes an object fit for empirical study. Within the modern context, studies of childhood suffer from narrowness of methodological vision. What is called for is a more holistic understanding of human life. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is an exploratory study into the signification potential of contemporary, postmodern picturebooks, specifically focusing on the way in which a seemingly 'simplistic' medium has the potential to initiate a vastly complex play of meanings. Picturebooks are traditionally considered to be a medium which implies a child reader, and conveys a simple linear narrative for educational and entertainment purposes. Traditional picturebooks thus assume a clear division between an author and reader, whereby the author is a 'knowing' adult, who conveys a moral or message to a passive child reader. These assumptions are arguably unsettled by the appearance of postmodern picturebooks, broadly defined as a medium which, while retaining the traditional picturebook format, opens itself up to multiple interpretations, instead of presenting the reader with an encoded message or 'meaning'. A number of postmodern picturebook authors, such as Shaun Tan, intentionally subvert the traditional dynamic between the author and reader of picturebooks by creating complex texts which display a general absence of clear accessible 'meaning', thereby allowing the reader to actively participate in the meaning-making process. With aid of the theories of signification set out by poststructuralist Jacques Derrida, this study aims to illustrate how a purposeful absence of apparent 'meaning' in picturebooks has the potential to allow for unlimited interpretations of a single text, thus by extension widening the 'implied' audience of such picturebooks. The objective is to set postmodern picturebooks apart from other texts (in particular more traditional picturebooks), and to provide a new outlook on the ways picturebooks are created, and the way they are read. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is 'n ondersoekende studie na die betekenispotensiaal van kontemporêre, post-moderne prenteboeke, met spesiale verwysing na die manier waarop 'n sogenaamde “simplistiese” medium die potensiaal openbaar om 'n hoogs-komplekse verskeidenheid betekenisse te ontlok. Prenteboeke word tradisioneel gesien as 'n medium van eenvoudige, liniêre vertellings gerig op die jong leser met die doel om op te voed of te vermaak. Tradisionele prenteboeke handhaaf dus 'n duidelike afbakening tussen die leser en die outeur, die sogenaamde “alwetende” volwassene, wat 'n morele les/ boodskap aan 'n passiewe, jong leser oordra. Hierdie veronderstelling word egter omvergewerp deur die verskyning van die post-moderne prenteboek wat, alhoewel in die tradisionele formaat van die prenteboek gegiet, die leser die geleentheid bied om veelvoudige interpretasies te maak in plaas van om net die beoogde geënkodeerde betekenis of boodskap van die boek te aanvaar. 'n Aantal post-moderne prenteboekskrywers soos Shaun Tan het die tradisionele dinamiek tussen prenteboekskrywer en -leser bewustelik omver kom werp deur komplekse teks te skep wat gekenmerk word aan die afwesigheid van 'n duidelik waarneembare betekenis en wat die leser dus toelaat om aktief deel te neem aan die interpretasieproses. Die doel van hierdie studie is om met behulp van die betekenispotensiaal-teorie, soos uiteengesit deur post-strukturalis Jacques Derrida, te illustreer hoe die doelbewuste weglating van 'n duidelik waarneembare betekenis of boodskap dit moontlik maak om die teks op veelvoudige maniere te interpreteer en daarmee saam ook die lesersprofiel van prenteboeke te verbreed. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie is dus om die post-moderne prenteboek te onderskei van die tradisionele prenteboek en ander tekste en om nuwe waarnemings en insigte te verskaf in die wyse waarop prenteboeke geskep en gelees word.

The portrayals of mothers and fathers in children's literature as companions, disciplinarians, caregivers, nurturers, and providers were documented in this research. The impact of time of publication, sex of author, award-winning status of book, best-selling status of book, race of characters, and sex of characters upon each of the five parental roles was assessed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and multinomial logistic regression techniques. A survey instrument developed for this study was completed for each of the 300 books randomly selected from the list of easy/picture books in the Children's Catalog (H.W. Wilson Company, 2001). To ensure all time periods were represented, the list was stratified by decades before sampling. It was expected that parental role portrayals would become more egalitarian and less traditional in each successive time period of publication. Male authors were expected to portray more egalitarian parental roles, and the race and sex of the young characters were not expected to influence parental portrayals. Award-winning books were expected to represent more egalitarian parental roles. Books that achieved the Publisher's Weekly all-time best-selling status were expected to portray parents in less egalitarian roles. Secondary analyses explored the prevalence of mothers' occupations, parental incompetence, and dangerous, solo child adventures. While the time of publication affected role portrayals, the evidence was unclear as to whether the changing roles represented greater egalitarianism. The race and the sex of the young characters significantly affected parental role portrayals, but the sex of the author did not influence these portrayals. While award winning and bestselling texts portrayed parents differently than books that did not achieve such honors, most did not provide enough information to adequately assess parenting roles. Half of the mothers who worked in the texts worked in conjunction with their husbands rather than independent of them. Over 10 % of mothers and fathers acted incompetently. The time of publication and the sex of the author was associated with the prevalence of solo, dangerous, child adventures. Subsequent implications and recommendations suggest the inclusion of stronger parental characters in children's books. Many of the parents are portrayed as inactive, incompetent, or neglectful. The concern is that children are exposed to these picture book portrayals during the primary years of identity acquisition.

Doctorat en sciences psychologiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

La thèse représente une première tentative de construire un narratif sur la Ligue de la jeunesse communiste du Canada (fondée en 1923) pendant la période de l'entre-deux-guerres, jusqu'ici absente des recherches existantes sur le communisme ou le socialisme canadiens. La thèse porte sur l'évolution des relations entre la Ligue de la jeunesse communiste (LJC), l'Internationale communiste (ou Komintern) et l'Internationale des jeunes communistes, où les communistes soviétiques ont joué un rôle prédominant. Cette recherche met en lumière de nombreux changements mineurs et majeurs dans la politique de la LJC, façonnés par les contextes nationaux et internationaux dans lesquels l’organisation a dû agir. La thèse soutient que malgré un enthousiasme sincère pour la ligne de l'Internationale et l'expérience soviétique, les jeunes communistes canadiens souvent avait de la difficulté d’appliquer les directives de l'Internationale au Canada. Ni le Komintern, ni le mouvement communiste au Canada n'étaient monolithiques. Au contraire, il y a eu de nombreux conflits à trois niveaux: entre le mouvement communiste international et la Ligue; entre la Ligue et le Parti communiste du Canada (PCC); et entre les groupes locaux ou linguistiques de la Ligue et son leadeurship national. La répression de la gauche par l’État dans les années 1920s et 1930s, les problèmes de financement et le nombre de membres dérisoire ont également entravé la mise en œuvre des politiques de l’Internationale. En même temps, le faible niveau de contrôle permettait un certain degré de flexibilité et d’autonomie dans les politiques de la Ligue canadienne. Suivant la position de l’International des jeunes communistes, la jeunesse communiste canadienne a mis un accent particulier sur le militantisme anti-capitaliste et anti-impérialiste, puis anti-fasciste et anti-nazi. Cependant, la Ligue semblait avoir agi de manière indépendante en ce qui concerne les revendications immédiates de la jeunesse canadienne et les politiques culturelles, en particulier pendant la Grande Dépression. La Ligue s'est engagée conjointement avec d'autres organisations de jeunesse pour promouvoir les demandes immédiates des jeunes, même lorsque Moscou n’encourageait pas une telle stratégie. Les initiatives venaient souvent des organisateurs locaux, même si les autorités canadiennes étaient convaincues que Moscou était à l'origine de chaque action de la Ligue. Dans les années 1930 en particulier, la LJC, à travers un réseau d’organisations sociales et culturelles, a eu accès à des jeunes de différentes orientations politiques - la gauche socialiste, le centre-gauche et même les «forces bourgeoises». L’impact et la portée de la LJC ont encore été renforcés par la fait que les sympathisants de l'organisation appartenaient à des milieux sociaux divers et incluaient non seulement des jeunes travailleurs et fermiers, mais aussi les étudiants du secondaire et de l'université, les artistes, les sportifs et les jeunes cols blancs, dont beaucoup appartenaient à des organisations religieuses de jeunesse. Pour ces jeunes, la LJC était le lieu qui fournissait les solutions marxistes à des questions brulantes de l’époque, telles que le chômage des jeunes et l’absence de sécurité sociale, l’injustice sociale ou encore la montée du fascisme et de l’impérialisme au Canada et à l’étranger. / The dissertation represents the first attempt to construct a narrative about the Young Communist League of Canada (founded in 1923) during the inter-war period, so far absent in existing research on Canadian communism or socialism. The thesis focuses on the evolution of the relationship between the Young Communist League (YCL) and the Communist International and Young Communist International where Soviet Communists played a predominant role. It sheds light on numerous minor and major changes of policy shaped by the national and international contexts in which these organisations had to act. The dissertation argues that despite genuine enthusiasm toward the International’s line and the Soviet experience, Young Canadian Communists often found it difficult to implement the International’s directives in Canada. Neither the International nor the communist movement in Canada was monolithic. On the contrary, there appear to have been numerous conflicts on three levels: between the International and the League; between the League and the Communist Party of Canada; and between local or linguistic groups in the League and its national leadership. The state repression of the left during the whole inter-war period, derisory level of funding and membership numbers also impeded the implementation of the International’s policies. At the same time, the International’s weaker levels of control allowed for a certain degree of flexibility and autonomy in the Canadian League’s policies. Following the position of the Young Communist International, the Canadian communist youth placed special emphasis on anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist, and later anti-fascist and anti-Nazi, militancy. However, the League appeared to have acted independently as far as immediate demands of the youth and cultural policies were concerned, especially during the Great Depression era. The League engaged in joint activism with other youth organisations, even when Moscow did not encourage such strategy. The initiatives often came from local grassroots organizers, although Canadian authorities were convinced that Moscow was behind each and every action of the League. In the 1930s in particular the YCL, through a network of social and cultural organisations, gained access to youth of different political orientations – the socialist left, centre-left and even “bourgeois forces.” The YCL’s impact and outreach were further increased by the fact that the organisation’s sympathizers, if not members, belonged to diverse social backgrounds and included not only young workers and farmers but also High School and University students, artists, sportsmen, young white collars, many of them belonging to religious youth groups. For these young people, the YCL was the place that provided Marxist solutions to burning questions of the time such as youth unemployment and absence of welfare, social injustice, growth of fascism and imperialism in Canada and abroad.