Abstract
This chapter identifies and critically analyses the dominant discourses that form the ideological conditions of children’s participation in child protection interventions. The central argument made in this chapter is that the dominant capitalist discourses of individualism and welfare-based paternalism work together to impede rather than enable children’s autonomy. It further argues that there is a fundamental conflict between children’s rights to participation and protection within statutory child protection interventions which provides justification for the widespread denial of children’s participatory rights despite a political ideology that supports the freedom of the individual in the interests of human flourishing.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alderson, P., Hawthorne, J., & Killen, M. (2005). The Participation Rights of Premature Babies. Journal of Social Sciences. An Emergent Discourse on the Right of the Child? Special Issue 9, 71–81.
Archard, D. (1993). Children: Rights and Childhood. London: Routledge.
Aries, P. (1962). Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life. London: Penguin Books.
Cameron, D. (2011). PM’s Speech on the Fightback After the Riots. Transcript. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pms-speech-on-the-fightback-after-the-riots. Accessed August 15, 2016.
Gadda, A. (2008). Rights, Foucault and Power: A Critical Analysis of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (Edinburgh Working Papers in Sociology). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
Glasman, M. (2013). Politics, Employment Policies and the Young Generation. Available at: http://www.lse.ac.uk/economics/newsEventsSeminars/files/MauriceGlasmanPaper.pdf. Accessed August 21, 2016.
Hendrick, H. (2003). Child Welfare. Historical Dimensions, Contemporary Debate. Bristol: Policy Press.
Hobbes, T. (1651/1962). Leviathan. New York: Collier.
James, A., & Prout, A. (1997). Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood. Contemporary Issues in the Sociological Study of Childhood. Abingdon: Routledge.
Jenks, C. (1996). Childhood. Abingdon: Routledge.
Legislation.gov.uk. (1989). Children Act 1989. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/47. Accessed March 19, 2018.
Legislation.gov.uk. (2004). Children Act 2004. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/contents. Accessed March 19, 2018.
Locke, J. (1689/1823). Two Treatises of Government. Glasgow: R. Griffin and Co.
Longley, C. (2012). Understanding the Modern State—The Common Good. Paper Presented to the Von Hügel Institute Conference held at St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, June 25–26, 2012.
MacNaughton, G., Hughes, P., & Smith, K. (2007). Young Children’s Rights and Public Policy: Practices and Possibilities for Citizenship in the Early Years. Children & Society, 21, 458–469.
Mill, J. (1859/1974). On Liberty. London: Penguin Books.
Purdy, L. (1992). In Their Best Interest? The Case Against Equal Rights for Children. Ithaca, NY: Cornell.
Rand, A. (1966). Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. New York: New American Library.
Rand, A. (1992). Atlas Shrugged. New York: Random House.
Rothbard, M. (1998). The Ethics of Liberty. New York: New York University Press.
Smith, G. (2013). Defending the Non-Aggression Principle. A Reply to Matt Zwolinski. Part 4. Available at: https://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/excursions/defending-non-aggression-principle-reply-matt-zwolinski-part-1. Accessed March 19, 2018.
Spencer, H. (1851/2000). Social Statics; Or, the Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, and the First of Them Developed. Emeryville, CA: Adegi Graphics.
The Children’s Society. (2009). A Good Childhood: Searching for Values in a Competitive Age. London: Penguin Books.
Thomas, N. (2000). Children Family and the State. Decision Making and Child Participation. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Tucker, B. (1882). Right and Individual Rights. Liberty I, 3.
United Nations. (1959). Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Available at: http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/1959-Declaration-of-the-Rights-of-the-Child.pdf. Accessed August 20, 2016.
United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child. London: UNICEF.
Von Pufendorf, S. (1673). On the Duty of Man and Citizen According to the Natural Law. Available at: http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/pufendorf/puf-203.htm. Accessed July 20, 2014.
Woodhead, M. (1997). Psychology and the Cultural Construction of Children’s Needs. In A. James & A. Prout (Eds.), Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood. Contemporary Issues in the Sociological Study of Childhood. Abingdon: Routledge.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Duncan, M. (2019). The Ideological Basis of Children’s Participation in the Child Protection System. In: Participation in Child Protection. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93824-0_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93824-0_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-93823-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-93824-0
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)