The website that I have
chosen to study is the Society for Research in Child Development located at http://www.srcd.org/ . The section that I have found to be
particularly relevant to my current professional development is the Wiley
Online Library. I have spent time
looking through the various books, journals and publications available through
my membership. Some of the articles
require purchase to download or access, but I have found several of interest
that are free to access.
Two social policy reports were of particular
interest. The first by Killen, Rutland
and Ruck examines the effects of social exclusion and discrimination of
children, (2011). It addresses the need
for interventions to be developed, the possible causes of the formation of
these behaviors in children and suggestions to address this issue. The second
report by Rhodes and Huston addresses the early childhood care and education
workforce, (2012). They discuss the
current condition, the needs to address, the challenges of forming a
high-quality, educated workforce, and makes suggestions for policy goals to
address these issues, (Rhodes and Huston, 2012).
The
article that may be viewed as controversial by Golombok discusses the subject
of reproductive donation and blended families that use this process to have
children, (2013). It describes various
family structures that utilize this process to have children, the concerns, and
data on parent and child adjustment (Golombok, 2013). Surprisingly, there is not near the adjustment
issues for families comprised of gay or lesbian couples as there are for those
using donor insemination or single mothers – these have increased risk for
psychological concerns according to Golombok (2013).
The
research being done in the fields of economics, neuroscience, and politics
(social policy) are evidence themselves that there is interest in learning more
and addressing the issues in the early childhood field. The attempt to gain accurate, up-to-date
knowledge shows concern and a genuine attempt to become more educated upon the
issues that need to be addressed in order to make provisions for high-quality,
accessible care for all the children in need of it. The more it is discussed perhaps the chance
for true change will increase. It is
very apparent that we need to take action to change the future of our children
for the better and of our society.
Knowledge and awareness are key to implementing policy and practice that
will have positive lasting impact on the field of early childhood and
education.
References
Golombok,
S. (2013, March). Families created by reproductive donation: Issues and
research. Child Development Perspectives,
7(1), 61-65. DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12015.
Killen,
M., Rutland, A. & Ruck, M. (2011). Promoting equity, tolerance, and justice
in childhood. Sharing Child and Youth
Development Knowledge, 25(4). Retrieved from http://www.srcd.org/sites/default/files/documents/spr_254.pdf
Rhodes,
H. & Huston, A. (2012). Building the workforce our youngest children
deserve. Sharing Child and Youth
Development Knowledge, 26(1). Retrieved from http://www.srcd.org/sites/default/files/documents/spr_261_final.pdf
Great post Cindy. I had no idea that there were issues related to donor insemination. I would like a little clarification. Did the article say the psychological issue are the child's or the single parent? I found that very interesting. I guess I had never considered it before.
ReplyDeleteHi April, I'm sorry that I was not completely clear with that statement. What the article states is, "Concern about children born to single mothers by choice is based on research showing negative psychological outcomes for children raised by single mothers following divorce. However, in contrast to divorced mothers, single mothers by choice are generally financially secure with good social support, and their children have not been exposed to parental conflict or family disruption. Nevertheless, the combination of two controversial pathways to parenthood--donor insemination and single motherhood--together with the absence of a known father, may place these children at increased psychological risk", (Golombok, 2013). Does that help? It also points out that there is much room for more research to be done on all of these types of blended families or family structures. I would worry more about the children from the families in which there were issues leading to splitting up myself, but perhaps it all has to do with being able to answer questions the child may have about their father or the situation they have experienced. Thank you for your comment and question. Cindy Ferguson
DeleteReference
Golombok, S. (2013, March). Families created by reproductive donation: Issues and research. Child Development Perspectives, 7(1), 61-65. DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12015.
I agree with you, gaining knowledge and becoming advocate can make a difference. It is very interesting to have read about mother insemination and all the information regarding it. That is a very interesting topic, would like to learn more about it.
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy,
ReplyDeleteYour post was informative and knowledge is important in understanding family structure and the challenges and impact they face. This has to be a continuous effort.