Filipino Children’s Social Construction of Socioeconomic Differences: Everyday Realities of Street Children and Private School Children

Abstract

Starting with the author's encounter with a stone-throwing incident, which involved different socioeconomic groups of children-street children and private school children-at Katipunan Avenue, this article seeks to understand the processes by which these two groups of children come to know about socioeconomic differences in their everyday lives. It first describes the avenue as an interface situation where encounters between street children and private school children are likely to happen. It subsequently clarifies the modes and the contents of children's knowledge construction of the other at the interface situation. Three findings are drawn from data gathered through key informant interviews and observations. One, children construct their common-sense knowledge of the other as they adjust to or reconcile with their own socioeconomic positions. Two, the ongoing process of knowledge construction involves the reinforcement of their understanding through actual encounters between the two groups and under the influence of other people and elements that are directly and indirectly related to interface encounters. Ultimately, the children themselves actively maintain social reality of socioeconomic differences.