Diagnosing 'Disorderly' Children
0
0
As an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner, Menrva Books earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Author Description
Based on the author's in-depth research with children diagnosed with behavioural difficulties, this book provides a thorough critique of today's practices, examining: the traditional analyses of behavioural disorders and the making of disorderly children the influence of the 'expert knowledge' on behavioural disorders and its influence on schools, communities and new generations of teachers the effect of discourses of mental disorder on children and young people the increasing medicalisation of young children with drugs such as Ritalin. This book offers an innovative and accessible analysis of a critical issue facing schools and society today, using Foucaultian notions to pose critical questions of the practices that make children disorderly. Rich in case studies and interviews with children and young people, it will make fascinating reading for students, academics and researchers working in the field of education, inclusion, educational psychology, sociology and youth studies.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the social and institutional mechanisms that construct the category of the 'disorderly' child within modern educational and medical systems. Author Valerie Harwood, a scholar in education and sociology, utilizes Foucaultian theoretical frameworks to analyze how expert knowledge and medicalization influence the lives of children labeled with behavioral disorders. By synthesizing qualitative research and critical theory, the text argues that current diagnostic practices often serve to pathologize normal childhood behavior rather than address systemic issues.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Critical analysis of the medicalization of childhood behavior and the use of pharmacological interventions like Ritalin.
- Examination of how 'expert knowledge' shapes the perceptions of teachers, parents, and community members.
- Qualitative data derived from extensive interviews and case studies involving children diagnosed with behavioral difficulties.
- Application of Foucaultian discourse analysis to evaluate the power dynamics inherent in educational and psychiatric institutions.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts in educational psychology and sociology identify this work as a significant contribution to the critical study of childhood labeling and institutional power. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is balanced by the inclusion of poignant personal narratives from the children involved in the study.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2006-01-01
Publisher:
Taylor & Francis, Inc.
ISBN-10:
0203481933
ISBN-13:
9780203481936
Psychology
Education
Medical Ethics
Sociology
