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Wat is opvoeding?
What is upbringing? A conceptual analysis
This paper offers a conceptual analysis of opvoeding by describing how this word is used in ordinary language. It shows that the Dutch word opvoeding has two different meanings and therefore expresses two different concepts. A first meaning clearly overlaps with the meaning of the word ‘upbringing’, even to such an extent that it is reasonable to assume that these terms express the same concept. It is a rather broad concept, as it covers a comprehensive whole of actions and practices, ranging from early childhood to the attainment of adulthood. The second meaning of opvoeding, however, is very close to the meaning of ‘to discipline’, in particular if reference is made to adult interventions in the child’s life. Used in this way the term expresses a concept that pertains to individual actions and therefore, if compared with the concept of upbringing, is a much more narrow one. In a rather detailed analysis of both concepts their differences and similarities are revealed. It is shown that the disciplining activities that are covered by the second concept are only a relatively modest part of upbringing. Next to disciplining the child, upbringing covers many other types of actions, such as setting a good example to the child, encouraging the child to aspire to particular ideals, or creating a supposedly beneficial environment for the child.
Keywords: adult-child; authority; conceptual analysis; discipline; upbringing
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: May 1, 2019
Het tijdschrift Pedagogiek stelt zich ten doel de wetenschappelijke discussie over opvoeding, onderwijs en vorming binnen het Nederlands taalgebied (Nederland en Vlaanderen) te stimuleren en te ondersteunen. Pedagogiek beoogt naast een bijdrage aan het wetenschappelijke debat ook de maatschappelijke discussie op de terreinen van opvoeding, onderwijs en vorming te bevorderen. Bijdragen zullen dan ook uitdrukkelijk worden beoordeeld op zowel hun wetenschappelijke als maatschappelijke relevantie. Pedagogiek biedt: (1) wetenschappelijke verslagen van empirisch, theoretisch en historisch onderzoek op het gebied van opvoeding, onderwijs en vorming, alsmede review studies op onderhavige terreinen; (2) opiniërende bijdragen van wetenschappelijk niveau (Forumbijdragen); (3) boekbesprekingen.
The journal Pedagogiek (Pedagogy) aims to stimulate and support the scholarly discourse on child rearing, education and training within the Dutch language area (The Netherlands and the Flemish region). Pedagogiek strives to contribute to the scholarly debate, but also desires to boost the public debate on the subject of child rearing, education and training. Therefore, contributions will be judged explicitly on both their scholarly merit and their social relevance. Pedagogiek offers: (1) scholarly articles reporting on empirical, theoretical and historical research in the field of child rearing, education and training, and review studies in the same field; (2) opinion pieces on a scholarly level (panel discussions); (3) book reviews.
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