Theorizing Childhood

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.