Adultcentrism

Adultcentrism is the exaggerated egocentrism of adults. [Verhellen, E. (1994). Convention on the rights of the child: Background, motivation, strategies, main themes. Leuven/Apeldoorn: Garant.] It is used to describe the conditions facing children and youth in schools, homes, and community settings; however, adultcentrism is not based on a notion of being good or bad. [Petyr, C. (1992) "Adultcentrism to practice with children," "Families in Society. 73"(3) p. 411.]

Definition

In social work, adultcentrism has been recognized as the potential bias adults have in understanding and responding to children. [Goode, D. (1986) "Kids, culture and innocents." "Journal of Human Studies. 9"(1) pp83-106.] This bias is said to extend from the difference in age between the child and the adult. The differences — including language, communication styles and world view — can create a hurdle to overcome. Adultcentrism is said to be akin to egocentrism, where one puts their personal perspectives, needs and beliefs ahead of all others, as well as ethnocentrism, which places a person's cultural and social beliefs ahead of all others. [Petr, C. (1992). "Adultcentrism in practice with children," "Families in Society. 73", pp408-416.] Petr, C. (2003) "Social Work with Children and Their Families: Pragmatic Foundations." Oxford University Press. p13] Explaining adultcentrism, one author reports,

Areas of usage

In the field of occupational therapy adultcentrism has been said to "lead researchers to underestimate children's abilities." [Royeen, C.B. (2004) "Pediatric Issues in Occupational Therapy: A Compendium of Leading Scholarship" American Occupational Therapy Association. p38.] According to one researcher, "This stance can be seen when researchers assume they know everything they need to know about children because they have been children." Research has also shown this leads adults to stay within their own perspective, thus discriminating against children through adultism. [Fine, M. (1987) "Why urban adolescents drop into and out of public high school." In "School Dropouts: Patterns and Policies," G. Natriello, ed. New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University.] In respect to occupational therapy, "Adultcentrism has emerged in the family therapy literature to describe the tendency by adults to view the world from an adult perspective and in so doing not understand or appreciate how children and young people are viewing things." [(1996) [http://www.acys.utas.edu.au/nyars/pdfs/pdfs-homelessness/h-ch2.pdf "Chapter 2, Homelessness and Early Home Leaving: Prevention and early intervention] ," in "Homelessness among young people in Australia." Hobart, Australia: National Clearinghouse for Youth Studies. p8]

Adultcentrism has is also growing in importance in the fields of education [Martino, W. and Pallotta-Chiarolli, M. (2003) "So What’s A Boy? Addressing Issues of Masculinity and Schooling." Open University Press.] , mental health [Helton, L., Kotake, M (2004) "Mental Health Practice with Children and Youth: A Strengths and Well-Being Model." Hayworth Press.] , community sociology [Cahill, S. (2001) "Research in Community Sociology: Supplement 1 - the Community of the Streets" Elsevier Limited. p60.] , and children's empowerment [Howe, B. & Covell, K. (2005) "Empowering Children: Children's Rights Education as a Pathway to Citizenship." University of Toronto Press.] One international affairs specialist reflects that,

A growing number of youth empowerment organizations and identify adultcentrism as central to their analysis, as well. [Fletcher, A. (2006) "Washington Youth Voice Handbook." Olympia, WA: CommonAction.] One such organization, the National Youth Rights Association, identifies that adultcentrism causes society to,

ee also

*Ageism
*Adultism
*Fear of youth
*Fear of children
*Fear of childbirth
*Gerontophobia
*Children's rights
*Youth rights
*Civic engagement
*National Youth Rights Association
*Voting age
*Convention on the Rights of the Child
*Votes at 16

References