Students add that the professors do not always agree with each other on policy issues.

"Sometimes the psychological side is almost diametrically opposed to the anthropological studies," Sawicki says.

And the different points of view leave a lot of room for debate among students in sections.

"It's interesting to hear radically different opinions," Kendrick says. "It reflects that we as a society don't necessarily agree about what's best for a child."

Minow says the debates often extend into the teaching staff's regular meetings with the teaching fellows.

"The weekly meetings are like an additional seminar for us, an intellectual feast," she says.

Kendrick, a psychology concentrator, says she finds the anthropological information particularly refreshing.

"It's kind of liberating to read about other cultures where women aren't the sole caretakers," she says. "It's important to see that in order to see our own biases."

Students also say that they particularly enjoyed Minow's lecture on the custody battle over "Baby M."

"The legal, public policy aspect is something many students don't get [in the undergraduate curriculum]," Minow says.

Students and Public Service

Another unique element of "Children" are the required field observation sessions. Students observe children in a variety of settings including day-care centers, museums, schools and after-school programs.

"[The students] have an experience of being social observes," Minow says. "They can recognize some of the difficulties in framing systematic studies of children."

Students who perform volunteer work with children can substitute their service experiences for the observation sessions.

Sawicki, who was the former Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) cabinet coordinator and director of ExperiMentors, a PBHA program, says he is glad to see the course support public service.