Abstract
In order for children and adults to achieve peace, theories suggest that an understanding of peace is required. Few efforts have been made by previous researchers to trace the developmental process and describe the unfolding of that understanding. This qualitative study of 58 children ages 3 to 12 used drawings and semistructured interviews to identify themes in children's descriptions of peace. Those themes and understandings were then grouped into six levels that were interpreted in light of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of development and its later interpretations. The levels are Preunderstanding, My Peace and Quiet, Sharing Peace with Friends, Making Peace with Friends, Peace in my Communities, and World Peace. Some developmental changes in children's thinking appeared to be stagelike, others showed gradual development, and still other components appeared to be idiosyncratic.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 508-514 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Peace and Conflict |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2015 |
Keywords
- Child development
- Peace
- Qualitative research
- Scaffolding
- Sociocultural theory