Page 59 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 3-4: Convention on the Rights of the Child: Educational Opportunities and Social Justice, eds. Zdenko Kodelja and Urška Štremfel
P. 59
j. vranješevič ■ convention on the rights of the child and adultism ...
child and when the best interest of the child is in question. Instead of con-
trol, authority based on respect controls the environment/conditions and
acts preventively, organises the environment for development and learn-
ing, so as to prevent or lower the probability of unwanted forms of behav-
iour and to provide for the child’s protection (Vranješević, 2005).
The fact that participation is a form of social learning makes it neces-
sary to redefine the traditional roles of adults and children (Clark, 2010).
As participation promotes the image of the child as a creator of meaning,
actively constructing and reconstructing their own experience and rela-
tions, and as the focus is on the co-construction of knowledge, partici-
pation creates options for new relationships and expands the role of both
adults and children. Adults have the role of both teacher and student: they
simultaneously support the child’s development, encourage the child’s
competencies and learn during cooperation with the child (Rinaldi,
2001). Some authors label this role an authentic novice (Clark and Moss,
2005) because the adult gives up the privilege of knowing everything and
is sincerely (authentically) interested in understanding and learning about
the child’s perspective.
In lieu of marginalisation, participation offers the visibility and
emancipation of children as a social group, promoting the image of the
child as an active partner in a social community whose voice is audible and
respected. The practice of participation changes the status quo in power re-
lationships by critically reassessing the following questions: Who usually
speaks on behalf of the group? Who is allowed to speak and on whose be-
half? (Cahill, Sultana and Pain, 2007). Participation holds transformative
potential not only in relation to social change to which it can contribute
but also in relation to the very participants, their competencies, attitudes
and values. Through participation, children are stimulated to name the
problems in their environment, to voice them, i.e. to speak about them, to
explore them and, through the process of building allies (with adults), to
influence the process of changes and to improve their own status in soci-
ety (Vranješević, 2015). Promoting the visibility of children’s perspective
is especially important when children come from marginalised groups
(poor children, children with developmental difficulties, ethnic minor-
ities etc.) since it is a way for improving their feeling of being powerful,
their positive self-image, and their proactivity (Sime, 2008). Yet, these are
not only relevant to children from marginalised groups (although they
need additional support) but for all children because children/youth are
generally a marginalised social group in terms of their visibility and so-
cial power. Participation gives children an option to be active participants
whose opinion is asked for and respected, to learn how to think critically,
57
child and when the best interest of the child is in question. Instead of con-
trol, authority based on respect controls the environment/conditions and
acts preventively, organises the environment for development and learn-
ing, so as to prevent or lower the probability of unwanted forms of behav-
iour and to provide for the child’s protection (Vranješević, 2005).
The fact that participation is a form of social learning makes it neces-
sary to redefine the traditional roles of adults and children (Clark, 2010).
As participation promotes the image of the child as a creator of meaning,
actively constructing and reconstructing their own experience and rela-
tions, and as the focus is on the co-construction of knowledge, partici-
pation creates options for new relationships and expands the role of both
adults and children. Adults have the role of both teacher and student: they
simultaneously support the child’s development, encourage the child’s
competencies and learn during cooperation with the child (Rinaldi,
2001). Some authors label this role an authentic novice (Clark and Moss,
2005) because the adult gives up the privilege of knowing everything and
is sincerely (authentically) interested in understanding and learning about
the child’s perspective.
In lieu of marginalisation, participation offers the visibility and
emancipation of children as a social group, promoting the image of the
child as an active partner in a social community whose voice is audible and
respected. The practice of participation changes the status quo in power re-
lationships by critically reassessing the following questions: Who usually
speaks on behalf of the group? Who is allowed to speak and on whose be-
half? (Cahill, Sultana and Pain, 2007). Participation holds transformative
potential not only in relation to social change to which it can contribute
but also in relation to the very participants, their competencies, attitudes
and values. Through participation, children are stimulated to name the
problems in their environment, to voice them, i.e. to speak about them, to
explore them and, through the process of building allies (with adults), to
influence the process of changes and to improve their own status in soci-
ety (Vranješević, 2015). Promoting the visibility of children’s perspective
is especially important when children come from marginalised groups
(poor children, children with developmental difficulties, ethnic minor-
ities etc.) since it is a way for improving their feeling of being powerful,
their positive self-image, and their proactivity (Sime, 2008). Yet, these are
not only relevant to children from marginalised groups (although they
need additional support) but for all children because children/youth are
generally a marginalised social group in terms of their visibility and so-
cial power. Participation gives children an option to be active participants
whose opinion is asked for and respected, to learn how to think critically,
57
