Children's Rights and Participation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Children's Rights and Participation - Essay Example The rights which are based on this include a question of how many rights children should have and whether this is applicable within society. While there are questions of children’s rights, others are also questioning the social structure of given areas which currently protects children who don’t have the rights. The dichotomy of children’s rights then becomes the main question between those who are looking at the place of children in society and the flexibility which should be included with the rights of children. This paper will explore the association between children’s rights within society as well as how this is related to the amount of children’s rights that should be distributed. The focus of protection and security, as well as the association with the development of children both has to be considered in regards to the needs of children in school, society and in the household. While equal participation can provide children with a stronger voic e for security, there is also the need to change this according to the specific levels of development among children. Sociology of Childhood The sociology of children is one which is known as a unique phenomena in society. Children are divided into a sub – group within society, specifically because of biological differences and age. ... From this perspective, the sociological components are based only on the understanding and definitions of society, as opposed to the capabilities and rights which children should have as citizens within society (Archard, 2004: 25). This creates the main difference between children and their rights, which shows a level of injustice over children and the abilities that they don’t have in terms of acting as responsible citizens within society because of social labels. The concept of childhood is one which has altered through sociological associations throughout time. Historical records note that the ideal of childhood has changed in different cultures and in various time frames. The idea of childhood is then implied throughout time and distinguishes rights based on the social needs of a given time frame. When a child is developed in a specific way, such as through education or work, then it becomes a reflection on what is needed within society as well as how this relates to the s pecific conditions of a given region. The idea of childhood then becomes related to a social construction which is based on age, gender, biological differences and the amount of knowledge which an individual has about the world. The social makeup of a child and the demographic differences then remain the only division in society, some which changes the roles which children play within society (Archard, 2004: 25). The differences associated with children and the social role which is taken is further implied with the expected participation in which children have within society. It is known that there are multidimensional participation processes that construct the role of a child in society and the expectations that are associated with this. The