Children's emotional learning in primary schools

Using insights gleaned from the sociology of childhood to challenge prevailing conceptualizations of children as emotionally 'incomplete' or 'immature' in relation to adults, this study demonstrates the interactive nature of the social order within primary schools and the centrality of emotional learning to children's everyday lives and relationships. Analysis of the qualitative data shows how children recognize the role of emotional learning in sustaining a balanced and 'healthy' lifestyle in relation to their self-identity, particularly through the importance of enlisting and sustaining friendships as protection across the public/private divide and the institutional order of school life. Furthermore, the data show that children understand their subordination to adults and the role of 'emotion work' in the negotiation of these hierarchical relationships.