The Children’s Studies Minor
The interdepartmental children's studies minor offers a multidisciplinary perspective on children and childhood to help students achieve a deeper and broader understanding of children and childhood. Children are examined in contexts of culture, historical era, educational systems, socioeconomic class, geographic setting, religious ideology, political and economic systems, and so on. In addition, children's studies is concerned with children's "lived" experience. Thus, some courses may examine exigencies that affect hundreds of millions of children globally (e.g., poverty, hunger, war, disease, labor, etc.). Children's studies also emphasizes advocacy and service for children. Thus, many courses in the minor involve a service-learning or fieldwork component in which students work directly with children (e.g., in a hospital, community center, counseling clinic, school). These opportunities enrich students' understanding of children, enhance students' growth as involved citizens, and benefit children and organizations in the community.