An Introduction to Childhood Studies

What is childhood and how can it be studied and understood? How is the idea of childhood shaped by the society we live in? This timely publication addresses these questions by pointing to the importance of childhood as a conceptual category and as a social status for the study of a previously overlooked or marginalised group - children. Following the success of the first edition, this new volume brings together key themes in the area of Childhood Studies, providing a scholarly introduction to students and practitioners working in the field. The book offers a broad-based, comprehensive and accessible insight into this growing discipline. Contributors examine childhood from historical, socio-cultural and policy perspectives. Each chapter is written by an expert in a specific area of childhood studies and many chapters are authored by leading figures in their field. Intellectually robust and confident in its academic approach this book is a key textbook for students and practitioners working in the area of Childhood Studies