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Introducing readers to the key historical and sociological perspectives on childhood, this book includes discussion features to encourage students to be critical and discursive around the subject
The Sociology of Early Childhood brings a new perspective to the field of early childhood education, offering insights into how children's diverse backgrounds shape their life chances. This book will be invaluable for all early childhood educators and students, who want to explore the complexities of contemporary society. The book takes us through the lives of children from birth to eight years of age, highlighting key issues for babies, for toddlers and for older children, as they grow and learn. Exploring key aspects of inequality, such as gender, social class, race, disability, Indigeneity and sexuality, the sociological insights of this book help educators navigate their role as guides, mediators and advocates for young children. Whether it is understanding children's emotions, working with families, or understanding the challenges of climate change, this book will help, with practical and relevant knowledge. Traditional approaches to early childhood focus on individual children, often missing a critical awareness of social relationships. There has also been a narrow understanding of children's abilities at a given age or stage, which has ignored the significant impacts of power, privilege and disadvantage. Using sociological theory, the authors unpack how these big issues affect all aspects of children's lives, showing how children struggle to overcome the negative stereotypes which operate to diminish the life chances of many children. This book gives all those who care about or for young children the tools and understanding to become powerful advocates for a better childhood, and a better world.
The Sociology of Early Childhood is a theoretically and historically grounded examination of young children’s experiences in contemporary society. Arguing that a sociology of early childhood must bring together and integrate different disciplines, this book: synthesises different sociological perspectives on childhood as well as incorporating multi-disciplinary research findings on the lives of young children explains key theoretical concepts in early childhood studies such as investment, early intervention, professional power and discourse examines the importance of play, memory and place evaluates long term parenting trends uses illustrative examples and case studies, discussion questions and annotated further reading to engage and stimulate readers. Invigorating and thought provoking, this is an invaluable read for advanced undergraduates and postgraduate students looking for a more nuanced and progressive understanding of childhood.
William A. Corsaro’s groundbreaking text, The Sociology of Childhood, discusses children and childhood from a sociological perspective. Corsaro provides in-depth coverage of the social theories of childhood, the peer cultures and social issues of children and youth, children and childhood within the frameworks of culture and history, and social problems and the future of childhood. The Fifth Edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate the latest research and the most pertinent information so readers can engage in powerful discussions on a wide array of topics.
′The provision of many amusing examples from Corsaro′s own research experience with children make his book a thoroughly enjoyable read as well as a valuable critical sociological analysis of childhood′ - Sociology The Sociology of Childhood is the Second Edition of a text that has been universally acclaimed as the best book on the subject available today. It is the only text that thoroughly covers children and childhood from a sociological perspective. The second edition retains the same quality coverage of social theories of childhood, the consideration of children and childhood in historical and cultural perspective, children′s peer cultures from preschool through preadolescence, and the social problems of children. The book has been updated to include new research, information, and discussions on the latest social indicators regarding children in the United States and around the world. Key Features New chapter on up-to-date methods of research for studying children. New chapters on theory, cultural change, and children′s peer cultures. New section on children′s rights including a description and discussion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Updated chapter on the Future of Childhood addresses current policy debates and changing demographics related to children in today′s societies. Contains many examples of children′s actual play and behavior. Provides photographs and charts that capture the complexity and diversity of children′s lives. The Sociology of Childhood is highly recommended for use as the core text in courses on the sociology of children and childhood, as well as for parents, teachers, and other adults interested in the social lives and development of children. It can also be used in early education, child development, and child psychology courses, and as a supplemental text in the area of family studies. William A. Corsaro is the Robert H. Shaffer Class of 1967 Endowed Professor of Sociology at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he teaches courses on the sociology of childhood, childhood in contemporary society, and ethnographic research methods. Corsaro is the author of Friendship and Peer Culture in the Early Years (1985) and "We′re Friends, Right": Inside Kids′ Culture (2003). He was a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow in Bologna, Italy, in 1983-84 and a Fulbright Senior Specialist Fellow in Trondheim, Norway, in 2003. His research has been featured on NPR, the BBC in London, and in the New Yorker.
Outlining sociology’s distinctive contribution to childhood studies and our understanding of contemporary children and childhood, The Sociology of Children, Childhood and Generation provides a thought provoking and comprehensive account of the connections between the macro worlds of childhood and the micro worlds of children’s everyday lives. Examining children’s involvement in areas such as the labour market, family life, education, play and leisure, the book provides an effective balance between understanding childhood as a structural phenomenon, and recognising children as meaning makers actively involved in constructing, co-constructing and reconstructing their everyday lives. Through the concept of ′generagency′ Madeleine Leonard offers a model for examining and illuminating how structure and agency are activated within interdependent relationships influenced by generational positioning. This framework provides a conceptual tool for thinking about the continuities, challenges and changes that impact on how childhood is lived and experienced.
The sociology of childhood and youth has sparked international interest in recent years, and yet a reader highlighting Canadian work in this field has been long overdue. Filling this gap in the literature, The Sociology of Childhood and Youth in Canada brings together cutting-edge Canadian scholarship in this important and growing discipline. Thought-provoking and timely, this edited collection explores a breadth of essential topics, including research on and with children and youth, the social construction of childhood and youth, intersecting identities, and citizenship, rights, and social engagement. With a focus on social justice, the contributing authors critically examine various sites of inequality in the lives of children and young people, such as gender, sexuality, colonialism, race, class, and disability. Encouraging further development of Canadian scholarship in the sociology of childhood and youth, this unique collection ensures that young people’s voices are heard by involving them in the research process. Pedagogical supports—including learning objectives, study questions, suggested research assignments, and a comprehensive glossary—make this volume an invaluable resource for students of childhood and youth studies in Canada.
Childhood can only be understood in relation to the multitude of social factors which surround it. This book is written for students doing degrees and foundation degrees in Early Years, Early Childhood Studies and related disciplines. It offers an introduction to the study of childhood and the different contexts within which childhood exists. The text encourages you to re-think childhood, exploring childhood from different contexts - from the child within the family, to the global perspective and the child′s own perspective. It enables you to begin to understand childhood in relation to society and to develop the skills to look at childhood from a critical standpoint. This Third Edition includes a new chapter on ′The Evolution of Early Years Provision′ adding essential context to the current situation. It has been updated in line with recent changes in the Early Years sector and includes some critical examination of the new Baseline Assessment.
Berry Mayall argues in this work that, since childhood is a permanent component of society, in order to understand how society works, we must take account of children as well as adults, otherwise our explanation omits an important social group. Children's lives are shaped by policies and practices, but they are also agents, who make a life for themselves through their relationships with adults and other children. This book argues that feminist theory and practice is useful for understanding childhood; we should start from the children's own accounts to show how the organization of social relations provides an explanation for their social position.
