Historical Development and Theoretical Foundations of Childhood Sociology

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the development of the sociology of childhood, which transforms from "traditional" to "new" sociology of childhood, through examining new trends for children and how its theoretical bases are shaped. The study, which is based on the literature review and evaluation, has a theoretical quality in line with its purpose. Studying on children and childhood, the sociology of childhood made progress in a relatively late period within the discipline of sociology due to historical, cultural, political, etc. conditions. While the traditional sociology of childhood developed through the "socialization" paradigm, the new sociology of childhood developed within the framework of the "social actor / child as social construct" perspective. Feminist movements, development of children's rights, new sociological approaches on children have been the developments that reshaped the concept of sociology of childhood. Increasing sociological studies after the 1990s, the establishment of children research centers and the inclusion of childhood in curriculum of sociology departments have accelerated the development of the new sociology of childhood studies. In conclusion, together with the impacts of these social developments, the evaluations regarding the current literature in the field of the sociology of childhood indicate that this discipline is still in its maturation process. The fact that the sociology of childhood has a multidimensional and deep structure in terms of its subjects, and the area of study it feeds in has an interdisciplinary content is effective in determining and directing its course of development.