The Department of Child and Youth Studies subscribes to the goals set out in the Brock University mission statement. The mandate of the department is to provide a broad interdisciplinary approach that considers children, childhood and youth within individual and social contexts including the lifespan, biology, culture, economy, law, family, school, peers, and community.
With its roots in psychology, sociology, anthropology, criminology, education, and cultural studies, our academic focus provides an integration of approaches through which a critical and comprehensive understanding of children, childhood and youth can evolve.
Child and Youth Studies is the first step towards a variety of careers including Child Protection Worker, Social Worker, Youth Outreach Worker, Youth Care Worker, Child Life Specialist, Youth Employment Coach, Speech-Language Pathology, Audiologist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Art Therapist, Behaviour Therapist, Autism Specialist, College Instructor, Elementary School Teacher or Librarian.
Department goals
The goal of the Department of Child and Youth Studies is to:
- Encourage sound critical thinking in all our students through an awareness of perspectives, the analysis and synthesis and application of material, and critical skill development.
- Encourage creative thinking and novel integrations of research, theory and practice.
- Develop student competence, including knowledge of traditions of thought, creative and critical awareness of contemporary issues, research developments, and current debates.
- Foster good communication skills through diverse pedagogical approaches that stress careful feedback for a broad spectrum of academic work. This will be facilitated through interactive seminars, student forums, digital technologies, community service learning, and opportunities for individual mentoring.
The faculty in the Department of Child and Youth Studies:
- Is dedicated to researching issues related to the interdisciplinary study of children, childhood and youth within individual and social contexts including the lifespan, biology, culture, economy, law, family, school, peers, and community, and promoting the extension of knowledge through appropriate scholarship.
- Endeavours to maintain a wide breadth of research, reflecting the inclusion of many approaches to children, childhood and youth.
- Strives to include students in the excitement and energy of ongoing projects to foster interest in research and discovery.
- Works in a variety of modes of analysis, including the empirical and conceptual.
The goal of the Department of Child and Youth Studies is to:
- Form liaisons and collaborate with community members, groups and organizations.
- Strive to implement, evaluate and advocate for policies and programs which will enhance the lives of children and youth both locally and globally.
