Children and Youth: Influences on Policy and Practice

Childhood studies and sociocultural theory, together with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, have influenced policy and practice initiatives, both within New Zealand and internationally. The integration of children’s agency, rights, and well-being provides a conceptual framework for positioning children as participating subjects, knowers, and social actors, rather than as the passive objects of socialization. Children are now considered to be people who can make a difference and contribute to creating their own futures and to sustaining their families, schools, and communities. Children’s ability to express their views and exercise responsibility is influenced by their social and cultural contexts and the extent to which there is space and support for their participation. Sociocultural contexts play an important part in inducting children into shared meanings, values, and practices, and enabling children to participate and learn. This chapter highlights three specific examples of New Zealand’s social policy and professional practice to explore how contemporary conceptions of childhood can influence children’s rights and well-being—(1) engaging children in research and policy development processes, (2) the abolition of physical punishment, and (3) children’s participation in family law proceedings.