Disability Studies & Early Childhood (MA)

<div id="tab2" class="tab grid_8 alpha hide-on-small" style="display: block;"> <div class="courseLinks hide-on-medium-down"> <img src="/media/liverpoolhope/styleassets/cssimages/media,975,en.gif" alt="print Icon" style="width : 24px; height : 24px; "> <span><a href="javascript:window.print()">print this page</a></span> <span class="st_sharethis_custom" st_processed="yes"><a href="#">share this course</a></span> </div> <h2>Curriculum</h2> <p>The full Masters award requires you to gain 180 credits, including a dissertation. The curriculum is constructed from 60-credit ‘Blocks’ of provision, from which students will choose two of the combinations permitted. Each 60-credit Block comprises either two 30-credit or four 15-credit modules.</p> <p><strong>Disability Studies block<br> </strong>Term 1</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Critical Disability Theory (30 credits)</span></p> <p>Focusing on critical theory from the modern and postmodern eras, this module provides a basis for an interrogation of Disability Studies and Special Educational Needs. From Freud to Foucault, Goffman to Garland-Thomson, Derrida to Davis, McRuer to Murray, and so on, the module follows the progression of critical disability theory from the early twentieth century to the present day. Though explicitly theoretical, the content of the module is grounded in experiential knowledge. Concepts such as stigma, the normate, panopticism, normalcy, narrative prosthesis, dismodernism, crip theory, aesthetic nervousness, autistic presence, and the metanarrative of blindness are explored in relation to social, cultural, and individual attitudes toward impairment, disability and education.</p> <p>Term 2</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Modelling Disability (30 credits)</span></p> <p>Disability has been conceptualised in many ways and for many purposes. In the past it tended to be non-disabled people who were responsible for the conceptualising and theorising of disability. In recent years, however, thanks largely to disability activism, disabled people have taken control of the ways in which disability is modelled. In order to gain a better idea of what is meant by disability, the module takes a critical journey through religious, charity, medical, social, affirmative, cultural, and other models of disability.<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Early Childhood block</strong></p> <p>Term 1</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Development of Young Children’s Thinking and Learning in Socio-Cultural Context</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> (30 credits)</span></p> <p>This module studies a range of theories relating to young children’s learning. It briefly visits traditional learning theories of Vygotsky, Bruner, and modern theorists. The majority of the module expands on the traditional aspects by examining attitudes and practices which provide for optimal learning. This examination includes social, cultural, historical and political influences on learning in national and international contexts. There are opportunities for students to engage with international literature and to benefit from the breadth of experiences brought to the debate by students from a variety of backgrounds.</p> <p>Term 2</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Children’s Rights and Participation (30 credits)</span></p> <p>This module will develop an understanding of children’s rights, starting with the UNCRC. It will examine the implications of the convention in national and international contexts, both politically and practically. This course will examine the contemporary meanings of children’s rights and participation. It will analyse the concept of participation in relation to listening and consultation.&nbsp; Through Shier’s (2001) model of participation, it will consider how participation is facilitated in practice. It will enable to students to examine their own ability to facilitate participation through critical reflection. It will also examine the wider implications of facilitation in the context of the children, welfare and the state.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After completion of the taught phase (when both Blocks are completed and 120 credits has been successfully gained) then students will begin the research phase, whereby they will study a Research Methods module and then embark on a Dissertation that synthesises the two Blocks that they have studied.&nbsp;</p> </div>