Theorizing Childhood

ISBN-13: 9780745615653 / Angielski / Miękka / 1998 / 256 str.

Alan (Keele University) Prout

Opis

In recent years there has been a rapid growth of interest in the sociological study of childhood. This new book draws together the major developments in the field. In particular, the book discusses contemporary sociological and anthropological research in order to develop key links between the study of childhood and social theory, exposing its historical, political and cultural dimensions.

Recenzje

′An exciting book by three of the foremost social–scientific specialists on childhood writing in Britain today; it promises to consolidate Childhood Studies as a new field of concerted endeavour.′ Nigel Rapport, University of St Andrews

′This new book is a spring of inspiration. Theorizing Childhood addresses in a superb way the main, if not all, relevant approaches within the ′new sociology of childhood′. It demonstrates brilliantly the salience of this new field both for what it can learn from the general body of knowledge and for what it can itself contribute to modern social science...no scholar in this or neighbouring fields can afford not to read and digest it.′ Jens Qvortrup, South Jutland University Centre

′The framework developed here is potentially an extremely powerful one, with enormous potential to stimulate and focus our thinking about childhood – and in particular our research′ Social Work & Social Sciences Review

Spis treści

Part I: Imagining Childhood.

1. The Presociological Child.

2. The Sociological Child.

Part II: Situating Childhood. .

3. Childhood in Social Space.

4. The Temporality of Childhood.

5. Play as Childhood Culture?.

6. Working Children.

7. One Childhood or Many?.

8. The Body and Childhood.

9. Researching Childhood.

Part III: Theorizing Childhood.

10. Theorizing Childhood.

Notes.

References.

Index.

O autorze

Allison James is Professor of Sociology at the University of Sheffield and Professor II at the Norwegian Centre for Child Research, Norwegian University for Science and Technology, Trondheim; Chris Jenks is Vice–Chancellor of Brunel University; Alan Prout is Professor of Sociology and Childhood Studies at the University of Warwick.

Blurb

In recent years there has been a rapid growth of interest in the sociological study of childhood. This book brings together the major developments in the field.

Drawing on a large body of contemporary sociological and anthropological research, the book develops key links between the study of childhood and social theory, exposing its historical, political and cultural dimensions. Through a consideration of the twin dimensions of childhood – as a structural feature of societies and as a context of children′s everyday lives – the book reveals childhood′s socially constructed character. Exploring the spatial and temporal boundaries of children′s lives, the authors set out the theoretical contexts within which more empirical studies of childhood are embedded.

Rather than using conventional categories of home, school and play, Theorizing Childhood is organized round themes such as space, time, culture, the body and work. In this way, the book explores the differences in recent approaches to childhood research, inviting valuable new insights into the study of childhood.

Theorizing Childhood is a timely book which demonstrates the centrality of childhood in sociological theory and contemporary debates concerning the state, welfare and morality.