878
Views
14
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

Children’s spirituality: epistemology and theory from various helping professions

Pages 109-127 | Received 14 Nov 2010, Accepted 01 Mar 2011, Published online: 09 Aug 2011
 

Abstract

Children’s spirituality is a rising area of importance in research within other helping disciplines, which social work should attend to. Epistemology is an important element of research that is often difficult to discern. This article discusses the different epistemological paradigms and identifies pertinent theories in relation to some of the significant studies on spirituality in preadolescent children. There is a lack of valid and reliable scales specific to children from a postpositivist stance. Constructivism appears as a prevalent epistemology within the literature, underpinned with humanist, existential, and transpersonal theories. Current research is often grounded in James Fowler’s faith development, founded on constructivist child development theory. Research is contributing to the recognition of the unique characteristics of spirituality in children that include relational consciousness and meaning-making, and coping styles. Gender, context, and culture aspects are also identified as important concerns for children’s spirituality that are introduced within social constructionist research. There remains considerable room for expansion in research on children’s spirituality and theory development especially in social work.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 374.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.