Lottery of birth
Introduction
Everyone has experienced a childhood and a family life of some kind. This is profoundly influenced by the society and culture into which you are born, and the society and culture into which others are born. While these are widely diverse, they will always reflect gender, ethnic, class and religious assumptions. And early lives will reflect the very mixed, complex and sometimes contradictory concerns of their place and time.
Start your work on this course by watching the following video.
Download this video clip.Video player: ou_futurelearn_birth_vid_1002.mp4
Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR
One of these people will travel far to sing to small children in a forgotten community. One of these people will recruit a team of grandmothers to bring love to the poorest orphans. One of these people will fight for a safe haven for children in a dangerous town.
One of these people will plant a garden to bring nutrition to preschoolers in need. One of these people will bury two of their children on the same day. One of these mothers will leave her children alone to fend for themselves while she works in a factory. One of these people will give their children the love, care, and attention they never received themselves.
One of these mothers will be forced to send her child to a school with no books, no toys, and no sanitation. One of these mothers will raise two children on her own while she is still in high school. One of these mothers will overcome maternal depression to look into her child's eyes for the very first time.
Some of these children will receive proper nutrition, care, and stimulation to develop in their early years, giving them the opportunity to thrive at school, have a chance for employment, and to break the cycle of poverty. Many will not.
Early childhood development is both a moral and financial issue of our times. Can we afford to ignore it? What can be done? These are the faces at the heart of the issue.
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