This clear-sighted study of the history and present state of child-directed knowledge and practice should be compulsory reading for professionals working with children. Lawyers, doctors, psychologists, social workers, teachers – not to mention lawmakers and bureaucrats – will benefit by the challenge it offers.
The strength of this book is that it is a wide-ranging introduction to key ideas in the study of childhood, and strikes an admirable balance between being relatively accessible and presenting ?ne-grained detail. In particular, it discusses legal and policy frameworks and historical back-grounds with more detail than usual for a generalist text.
The book provides a concrete impression of the diverse and disputed facets of the globalization process and its impacts on contemporary childhoods. The authors identify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a Western-based controversially discussed driver of global norms for a “good childhood”, and highlight how children‘s rights can be dealt with in a critical, contextualized and culture-sensitive manner. There is no similar publication in German so far.
What is a child? Kate Cregan and Denise Cuthbert begin this path-breaking and compelling work with a deceptively simple question. From this seemingly straightforward formulation, they unravel, interrogate and engage with some of the most pressing issues related to children in the early 21st century... One of the many spectacular achievements of this book is the way in which Kate and Denise weave together the disciplinary approaches into a highly sophisticated inter-disciplinary approach to the question of the child, childhood and global perspectives...
This is an exciting and engagingly written book. The case studies are intriguing and the discussion of previous theories impeccable.
Using diverse examples and applied case studies from across the globe, the authors demonstrate the relationships between contemporary understandings of childhood and historical, social, political and geographic factors. Rich in theory and extensively researched, it is a provocative, engaging and accessible contribution to the field.
Is not an appropriate book for this module
It has a very useful description of post colonial Malaysia and the fate of the nations children in relation to developing modernity which could be usefully used as a framework to look at South Africa/ Uganda. There is also some useful information on the African alternative to the UNRC the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC;1990)
Good for comparison between varying childhoods
International topics form an integral part of education based degree courses now so this book is highly recommended as the authors have chosen the most topical issues and debates to discuss.
An interesting insightful read for the learners.
interesting and relevant issues covered in the book.
Used as discussion in our parenting session and child development modules
This book is set out well with excellent case studies as examples. It is engaging and accessible to students at all levels of study.
A critical debate on global childhoods. This text engenders analysis on the construction of childhood and how children live within our modern world. A very useful addition to the discourse of the global child.
key issues and debate as to what childhood is promote questions and high order thinking. I will use this for my level 4 planning.
This extremely thought provoking book challenges the reader's idea of childhood by examining childhood across different social and political divides. It is somewhat beyond the scope of the course I deliver but would make for good extension reading.
This is a very well structured book with a clear social scientific perspective on children and childhood. It provides theoretical perspectives on childhood in a clear way, and the empirical examples are interesting and match the theoretical approaches. I also really like the summaries in the beginning of each chapter.
For the BA (Hons) Child Development and Education this book is being recommended as essential reading. The content of this book is excellent for the modules 'Different Childhoods' and 'Global Education' and my students have benefitted from the arguments, research and theories set out in this superb book.
A good text that introduces some of the key terms, perspectives and conventions internationally.
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