Summary
A right to development is one of the basic principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Several articles are specifically about protecting and promoting children’s development, and other articles refer to developmental concepts of maturity and evolving capacity. Realizing young children’s right to development is informed by numerous sources: cultural understandings, beliefs and values as well as scientific knowledge and theories. I offer two contrasting ways of thinking about children’s rights to development. The first is summarised as three ‘Ns’, emphasising ‘normal’ development, children’s ‘nature’ and their ‘needs’. The second is summarised as three ‘Cs’: recognising that development is ‘contextual’, ‘cultural’ and respecting children’s ‘competencies’. I explore the potential as well as the limitations of each approach, drawing attention to the tension between universalistic theories and the plurality of pathways through childhood, the respects in which development is a natural versus socio-cultural process, and the implications of recognizing children as active participants, with their own perspective on child development issues, while at the same time ensuring they are adequately guided and protected.
Résumé
Le droit au développement est un des principes de base de la Convention des Nations Unies relative aux Droits de l’Enfant. Plusieurs articles expressément sur la protection et la promotion du développement de l’enfant, et d’autres articles font ré’érence aux concepts de maturité et d’évolution des capacités, propres au domaine du développement.
La reconnaissance du droit au développement des jeunes enfants est inspirée par de nombreuses sources d’information: les conceptions, croyances et valeurs culturelles ainsi que les connaissances et théories scientifiques. Je propose deux façons contrastées de concevoir les droits au développement des enfants. La première, qui se résume à trois “N”, insiste sur le développement “normal”, la “nature” des enfants et ce qui leur est “nécessaire”. La seconde, qui se résume à trois “C” reconnaît que le développement est “contextuel”, “culturel” et respecte les “compétences” de l’enfant. J’explore le potentiel ainsi que les limite de chaque approche, en attirant l’attention sur la tension entre les théories universalistes et la pluralité des voies pendant l’enfance, les points de vue selon lesquels le développement est un processus naturel par opposition à socioculturel, et les implications à reconnaître que les enfants sont des participants actifs, avec leur propre perspective sur le développement, tout en s’assurant qu’ils sont guidés et protégés de façon adéquate.
Resumen
El derecho al desarrollo es uno de los principios básicos de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos del Niño. Varios articulos tratan especificamente de la protección y la promoción del desarrollo de los niños y otros articulos se refieren a conceptos del desarrollo de la madurez y de la capacidad evolutiva. El reconocimiento del derecho al desarrollo de los niños pequeños viene por muchas vias: entendimiento cultural, creencias y valores así como conocimiento y teorías cientificas. Propongo dos maneras opuestas de pensar sobre los derechos de los niños al desarrollo. La primera se resume en tres ‘N’, enfatizando el desarrollo ‘normal’, la ‘naturaleza’ de los niños y sus ‘necesidades’. La segunda se resume en tres ‘C’, reconociendo que el desarrollo es ‘contextual’, ‘cultural’ y respetuoso con las ‘competencias’ de los niños. Exploro el potencial y las limitaciones de cada enfoque, Ilamando la atención sobre la tensión entre las teorías universalistas y la pluralidad de los caminos en la infancia, los puntos de vista en los que el desarrollo es un proceso natural frente a uno socio-cultural, asi como las implicaciones de reconocer que los niños son participantes activos, con su propia perspectiva sobre las cuestiones del desarrollo del niño, y al mismo tiempo asegurarse de que son guiados y protegidos adecuadamente.
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An earlier version of this paper appeared as one of the Ghent papers on Children’s Rights, University of Ghent, 2004
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Woodhead, M. Early childhood development: A question of rights. IJEC 37, 79 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03168347
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03168347