An Introduction to Childhood Studies

by Kehily, Mary Jane

• ISBN13: 9780335228706
• ISBN10: 0335228704
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-11-01
• Publisher: Open University Press

Summary

"This thoughtful book provides expert overviews of historical, sociological, psychological, cultural, legal and rights-informed approaches to childhood. Through these well written, readable chapters, students will be engaged with important debates in childhood studies, and led towards many ideas and problems for further investigation. This second edition includes new chapters arguing strongly for interdisciplinarity and for measured responses to the current 'crisis' in UK childhoods." Berry Mayall, Institute of Education, University of London, UKAn Introduction to Childhood Studiesoffers a wide-ranging and thought-provoking approach to the study of childhood, providing an important contribution to this burgeoning area of research and teaching. It brings together key themes in the area of Childhood Studies, providing a comprehensive and accessible introduction for students and practitioners, helping to answer questions such as: What is childhood and how can it be studied and understood? How is the idea of childhood shaped by the society we live in? The contributors - who are leading figures in their fields - examine childhood from historical, socio-cultural and policy perspectives. They explore aspects such as the construction of childhood, children's literature, childhood in the digital age and children's rights.Revised and updated throughout, the new edition includes: An expanded introductory chapter - Childhood Studies: past, present, future A new chapter on children's rights and educational provision A new concluding chapter - The future of childhood Revised and updated chapters Further reading suggestions for each chapter An Introduction to Childhood Studiesis a key text for students on courses in childhood studies, child psychology, social policy and the sociology of youth and childhood.

Author Biography

Mary Jane Kehily is Senior Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies at the Open University, UK.

Table of Contents

Editor and contributors	p. vii
Understanding childhood An introduction to some key themes and issues	p. 1
Childhood studies Past, present and future	p. 17
Historical Approaches to Childhood
The historical construction of childhood	p. 35
Children's literature and childhood	p. 50
Innocence and experience A Historical approach to childhood and sexuality	p. 70
Sociocultural Approaches to Childhood
Constructing childhood sociologically	p. 93
Developmental psychology and the study of childhood	p. 112
New media, new childhoods? Children's changing cultural environment in the age of digital technology	p. 124
Policy Perspectives on Childhood
Promoting better childhoods Constructions of child concern	p. 141
Children's rights in early childhood	p. 161
Childhood and the law In whose 'best interests'?	p. 177
The future of childhood Crisis, cyclical concern or accommodation?	p. 198
References	p. 209
Index	p. 229
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