child's POV

• Smart


  -new approach aims to include views & experiences of children themselves

  -as they're living through childhood

  -MAYALL > focus on present tense of childhood
• Mason & Tipper


  -shows how children actively create own definitions of who is 'family' > people regarded as 'close'
• Smart's study of divorce (2001)


  -far from being passive victims, children actively involved in trying to make the situation better for everyone
• strengths of these studies

  -using informal, unstructured studies

  -empower children to express own views

  -allow researchers to see world from child's point of view

  -sociologists can explore diverse, multiple childhoods existing within single society
• approach in favour of child liberationists

  -campaign in favour of children's rights & priorities