[Self Titled] (1/28-30)

When meditating on the word "child", or "childhood", from a sociological perspective many initial emotions and questions arise.  Not the least of these is,"Why were children been marginalized for years of sociological research and thought?".  Its seems people before me such as William Corsaro and Jens Qvortrup have thought about this exact question.  Corsaro even answers this question by stating that "Children are marginalized in sociology because of their subordinate position in societies and in theoretical conceptualizations of childhood and socialization.".  When a group is bound within a rigid structure and defined withing acute parameters their voice and potential impact on society is greatly limited.  This can be seen in a hodgepodge of differing situations children find themselves in.  From defining strict gender roles onto children from birth, to limiting their knowledge on subjects, and even legally restricting them in some instances, children are certainly prevented from participating in a lot of common activities in society.  Their voice, when not in accordance with strict ideas of what a child should think or be allowed to know, is often unnoticed or rejected as "childish", but almost certainly will be seen as less important than an adults, or even a young adult.  While I wouldn't argue that no barriers should be placed on children, however I do think that children should be consulted and considered much more in our day and age.  

One way I think we could begin to become a more inclusive society for children would be to not only simply consult them as to their thoughts on their involvement in society, but they should also be included in research regarding themselves.  This point is touched on by Michael Wyness.  While, as he says, children have been involved with creating and carrying out some sociological studies, their involvement has been too limited in my opinion.  Children should feel more free to create their own studies and should be not only verbally encouraged, but also assisted in funding their projects so they can create real research and express their honest voice to society.  I believe this is a big step in allowing children to both claim and create their space in society.