The Historical Development of Out-of-School Education in Light of the Subculture of Childhood

Abstract

The article examines the relationship between the development of the subculture of childhood and the evolution of out-of-school education. It identifies the historical stages of the influence of the subculture of childhood on the nature of extracurricular learning and development. We analyze the concepts of the “subculture of childhood” and “out-of-school education” in light of how they have influenced each other. We apply modern approaches to define these concepts. We consider various views of childhood as an independent phenomenon as well as how teachers have regarded children during different historical periods. We examine the main components of the world of childhood as they have been identified by ethnographers and teachers, including the concept of children’s folklore, which has come into its own as a distinct field of study, and games as the initial stage of child socialization. We consider various kinds of games. We consider the early history of how out-of-school education has been organized as a social activity that is aimed at ensuring the harmonious personal development of children by giving them the creative initiative and freedom of choice. We determine the stages and trajectories of the development of extracurricular education, which include folk learning, activities advanced by progressive public organizations and communities, and state-based offerings that are connected to the development of the subculture of childhood.