The modern childhood paradigm has a universal and uniform childhood approach. With the emergence of modern nation states, it was imagined that children could be constructed as ideal citizens. Nation states tend to build their ideal citizens with educational institutions as well as with other institutions and practices. Preserved children living in state institutions represent a childhood group that is quite suitable for the ideal citizen training of the state.
This thesis is to explore the meaning of the concepts of preserved children and childhood in the context of childhood sociology, with a strategy of grounded theory, moving from the experiences of preserved children. Within the scope of the thesis, interviews were held with 20 protected children living in children's houses affiliated to the Ministry of Family and Social Policy in Ankara. In addition, interviews were held with caregivers and children's home counselors, the adults the children set up to understand the children's experiences.
Findings obtained in the research were analyzed according to the procedures of strategy of grounded theory. By exploiting context-dependent childhood concepts from the experiences of children, the concept of concepts and theories of childhood has been discussed. Unlike the modern childhood paradigm predicted by the findings, practices of everyday life of children living in children's homes, social relationships, etc. they have a different childhood experience. Children who see their mothers and fathers as the responsibility of living in a child's home are saying that they want to live with their family despite everything. Contrary to the modern childhood paradigm adopted by nation states, it is suggested to develop social policies with an alternative and multiple childhood approach and eventually action. |