Sofia on Nostr: "Making the lives of children better in all domains, sexual and otherwise, means we ...

"Making the lives of children better in all domains, sexual and otherwise, means we must take them seriously as ‘knowers’ in the world. Sociologist Berry Mayall illustrates in her ethnographic research how children make meaning of their everyday lives. She argues that children ‘see themselves as participants in the structuring of their own lives and the lives of their family and friends’ (2005, 86). Children understand and can make meaning of their social location, as children, within the social world – a level of reflexivity that is often accorded only to adults (Cote 2006). Children are reflexive and thoughtful social actors capable of taking part in a dynamic and dialogical exchange on their sexuality. It is only through collective recognition that we can begin to create a cultural context and set of social institutions that acknowledge this capability and in so doing encourage the sexual agency of children."