Material Culture of Childhood
Explores the histories of Children and Childhood and a set of scholarly methods called Material Culture, examining how changing understandings of child development and social history are shaped by children's material worlds.
Summary
Lectures are small, with a median of 19 enrolled students in the recorded sections.
What you’ll be able to do
Interpret theoretical and historical texts in Material Culture, applying the concepts to written and oral explanations
Evaluate objects and images as sources of social and cultural information from a material culture perspective
Describe and write about the historical development of the concept of childhood and the influence of material culture on its construction
Explore and test how concepts of childhood are closely connected to ideas about race, gender, class, ethnicity, religion/faith, and socioeconomic class--and all of those distinctions are reflected materially.
Practice conducting object-based research and writing.
Propose and draft a scholarly project focused on the material culture of childhood that aims to make an original contribution to your field.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗No recorded grade history.
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Prerequisites
Course mapSophomore standing
- Sophomore standing
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Sophomore standing
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
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Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
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Student experience
the class
Explores the histories of Children and Childhood and a set of scholarly methods called Material Culture. How have changing understandings of child development, social and cultural history, and the history of the family shaped and been shaped by children's material worlds? Explores design and material culture topics that illuminate how histories of young children have been understood and treated and considers objects that reflect the experiences of young people, from birth through school age-clothing for babies and children, garments that mark aging and transitions, histories of homes and interior furnishings, toys and play things, objects for learning, and material objects related to caregiving.
difficulty & workload
No workload feedback recorded.
Topics
- Clothing, garments marking transitions, home furnishings, toys, learning objects, and caregiving items
- Child development, social and cultural history, and the history of the family
- Connections between childhood concepts and race, gender, class, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic status
Skills
- Interpret theoretical and historical texts in Material Culture
- Evaluate objects and images as sources of social and cultural information
- Conduct object-based research and writing
- Propose and draft a scholarly project on the material culture of childhood
Grades
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Catalog & offerings
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Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
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Full model traces
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Model & dataset provenance
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