Disenchanted childhood: On the example of selected literary works

The essay is an attempt to disenchant the concept of childhood. Based on Lord of the Flies by William Golding and other literary works, the Author deals with the image of a child created as an innocent, incapable of evil, putting emphasis on the subjectivity of a child. The essay shows the important role of children in social life and discusses the theses of developmental psychology in which dominates the gradual nature of human development. It also emphasizes the signifi cance of recognizing a child as a human being, an important, conscious person, capable of evil, hence deserving respect. 

Blue Castle as a story of the power of emotional closeness

Lucy M. Montgomery is famous for her childhood novels. Blue Castle is one of her lesser known works. The writer analyses in depth the issues of the influence of childhood experiences on the personality of adults. Looking at the individual characters, one can see a variety of parenting patterns and bonds established between adults and children. Based on her own rich experience, Lucy M. Montgomery is able to present, using Joanna’s moving story, the complexity of the parent‒child relationship as well as her importance for shaping the human mentality. This essay is an attempt to get closer to the world of the novel’s characters. It is also intended to be an inspiration for reflection on the human world and his/her development in this world. 

Harry Potter as an educational potential, not only for children

The process of raising a child is undoubtedly a great challenge for the carer: it involves taking responsibility for the young person, who like a sponge absorbs the knowledge and point of view provided by the educator. It is also a process ‒ in which an adult is forced to make many educational decisions, the sum of which will contribute to what kind of adult the child will become. One of these decisions is to choose the style of upbringing that the carer ‒ more or less consciously ‒ manifests towards the child. The following essay provides a short description of these styles, demonstrating their occurrence in the first part of J.K. Rowling’s novel about Harry Potter, and also presents some initial reflections on the power relationship between the carer and the child.

Accelerated adolescence: Analysis based on The Hunger Games

The aim of the essay is to show the process of accelerated adolescence based on Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, its face and possible consequences for the child and parents. Drawing the plot of the trilogy, the author of the novel describes the struggles and challenges the main character had to face, which were unnaturally high when looking at her age. The pressure to take on the role of the family’s main breadwinner strongly influenced her later decisions, made in the face of really difficult choices she should not have to make at such a young age. However, the nature of the society in which she grew up and the events that made up one story and not another forced her to take certain steps, through which she has to grow up much faster in conditions where the partnership of children and adults is an oxymoron. The author then reflects on the real world, noting not only the positive sides, but also certain problems (some of them coinciding with those of the trilogy) and traumas with which we grow up, not even realizing how strongly they can affect later adult life. 

Raising a child in… Norway

The aim of the essay is to present the differences in the approach to raising children that exist in Poland and Norway, and to present the specificity of the activities undertaken by the controversial Barnevernet institution. It is also an objective discussion of differences in relations between parents and offspring, understanding and development of the idea of children’s empowerment and forms of discrimination both in the family and from the so-called welfare state.

Childhood in a kaleidoscope on the example of The Little Prince

The world of an adult and the world of a child are certain separate realities, which are governed by their own laws. Among them we find goals, needs and values that are different from each other, depending on the perspective. The task of a parent becomes a conscious exploration of the “child’s planet”, an attempt to cross the barrier of age and experience. This becomes possible through self-reflection on one’s own childhood and through the search for one’s own element of childhood. It becomes helpful to read The Little Prince, which is a kind of bridge between the world of a parent and the planet of a child.

Social work with a child: Reflections based on the book Aggression. A New and Dangerous Taboo? by Jesper Juul

The main aim of this paper is to present a new approach to working with children and young people, as described in Jesper Juul’s book Aggression. A New and Dangerous Taboo? This approach consists of treating a child as a subject, following his or her needs, avoiding stigmatization and paying special attention to building a healthy self-esteem. These issues are considered mainly from the perspective of a social worker, educator, pedagogue. In order to understand the validity of Jesper Juul’s educational concept, the work places great emphasis on raising awareness of the unequal treatment of a child and its issues in relation to adults.

Helga’s diary: A story about growing up during the Holocaust

Childhood is an extremely important stage in everyone’s life. However, it does not always run smoothly and in a gentle way. The text presents the problems of growing up and socializing in the extremely unfavorable conditions of concentration camps on the example of Helga Weissova’s book The Daily Helga. A girl’s testimony about life in concentration camps. This reading is not only a description of living conditions in Nazi camps, but above all, it is a record of growing up in a reality not adapted for this purpose. It shows the girl’s private perspective on the rapidly changing world that surrounds her. For this reason, the reading arouses a lot of extreme emotions and therefore provides very interesting analytical material on the subjects of childhood, adolescence and primary socialization. 

In the pursuit of an unreleased imagination

Imagination, both childish and adult, is usually perceived positively. However, it often happens that with age, this still mysterious ability to go beyond the real world disappears. Then we often become skeptical and even irritated by the younger confreres around us, who are lively talking about terrible dragons and wonderful princesses. Escape from our own imagination may be caused by the mistaken belief that we no longer deserve a little better world. On the other hand, we forget that imagination has not only a bright side, but also a dark side, which children remember perfectly. However, there are adults among us who not only have not forgotten about this mysterious attribute, but also use it when it is most needed. 

Social work with a child by streetworking: About discovering the potential and building relationships in the child’s social space

Streetworking is a way of working that allows a professional to get closer to the world of people with trauma experience. Their childhood and early years are filled with negative emotions – pain, anxiety, shame or withdrawal from social life. On the one hand, they are forced to live in enclaves of poverty and, on many occasions, take responsibility for the difficulties and dysfunctions of their biological parents; on the other hand, they try to find their own safe space where they can find peace and answers to the questions and dilemmas that arise ‒ so they take to the streets. Professionals, for whom the street has become a place of work, are ready to meet them, but they do not expect cooperation, they do not impose support, they are aware that the need for change must appear in a person who is in a situation of help. Such an approach makes them ‒ just as much as they do ‒ a tool in the process of building relationships, accompanying in games, conversations or resolving confliicts. The task of streetworkers is, therefore, to create a space in which it will be possible to show young people other possibilities of coping in life, motivating them to take up challenges, but not to teach or mentor. There are different rules of (co-)social life and a different hierarchy on the street. It has a specific charm, but it is a place where change happens continuously, and every new person is described as an enemy. A streetworker enters “someone else’s territory”, and that means he accepts the rules there and is open to the reality he will find “in the street”. Many times approaching the world of children (on) the street involves the use of unconventional methods such as provocation. Thus, this article is a reflection on the importance of the social worker’s profession in the context of streetworking. 

* Artykuł ten powstał na podstawie pracy przygotowanej przez Dominikę Curyło pod tytułem Postawy i zachowania streetworkerów w kontakcie z dziećmi i młodzieżą, Kraków 2017 (materiał niepublikowany, wykorzystane fragmenty za zgodą autorki pracy).

Stree tworker in relation with a child ‒ working conditions and tools ‒ some theorethcal and practical remarks

Young people are the most vulnerable group because of their sensitivity and vulnerability to injury. Children have great potential for development and are able to succeed in their future lives, both private and professional, if they have the opportunity to grow up in the right environment and follow a good example. Although the work of a streetworker is non-institutional, like any profession or group, streetworkers are guided by a set of guidelines, norms and rules regarding their behaviour, attitudes, getting in contact with the child and their family, relationships with other streetworkers, etc. They also use a set of tools that serve them to work effectively on the street. These elements play a fundamental role in working with young people. In this paper we will highlight the most important of them. They may become a source of reflection for future streetworkers.

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