Image of the Child: What Is Developmentally and Socially Appropriate for Children Growing Up in Indian Society?

Abstract

A deeper understanding of children and childhood based upon an inquiry into the representation of childhood through mythology, cultural history, the history of spirituality, art, literature, and education results in an image of the child that symbolizes a culture’s deeper assumptions regarding human nature, human forms of knowledge, and the meaning of the human life cycle (Kennedy, 2000). These understandings of how children and childhood are socioculturally constructed have implications on the day-to-day relationships between adults and children, and on educational theory and practice. Although it is not in the scope of this book to include an in-depth discussion of this type of research, it is, nevertheless, relevant to provide a general idea of the construction of childhood and how children are viewed in Indian society in order to contextualize the young child for whom the educational goals discussed earlier have been defined. My brief attempts to capture the image of the young child revealed an innocent being, immersed in an atmosphere of love, appreciation, and indulgence extended by the older members of the family and community.