Childhood

by Chris Jenks

The sociology of childhood has a relatively short history, yet it has grown as an area of academic and policy interest in recent years. The social sciences previously handled childhood either through theories of socialization or through developmental psychology - both of which approaches have lead to children being considered as a natural rather than social phenomenon. Childhood offers a greater appreciation of the social factors that make up our knowledge of children and childhood. It gives us a critical framework through which to understand private attitudes and public policy in relation to the child, viewing childhood from a social constructionist perspective. The basic assumption that childhood is a social construct reveals that our understandings of childhood and the meanings that we place upon children vary considerably from culture to culture, but also quite radically within the history of any one culture such as our own.

146 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 1996

About the author

Chris Jenks is a Sociologist, and has previously occupied the positions of Vice Chancellor and Principal of Brunel University London; and Pro-Vice Chancellor and Professor of Sociology at Goldsmiths College University of London, UK.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for thesis.

[Erendira]

Not in library or available through ILL.

amazon Childhood list

[Rebeka Kuszinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Egyik legjobb szakirodalmam a disszertációmhoz, 100%ban backupol, nagyon jó olvasni, csak kicsit sokszor írja le ugyanazt. De who am i to judge, én is ezt csinálom.

(amúgy ezt Chris Jenks írta, nem értem, miért nincs fent jól ezen a szar honlapon ez a kiadás)

[Adam Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Childhood" Jenks stabs at the heart of sociology's obsession with mythology, this time in the form of childhood. By providing a concise, if inaccessible, analysis of why and how sociologists, psychologists, and educators conceive of children, Jenks encourages a critical examination of the assumptions behind many institutions. This book provides necessary support for conversations about youth rights, civic engagement, and the roles of young people throughout society. It is a powerful tool for the determined popular reader, and an introductory lever for the academic.

[Wesley Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! This may be the best work in Childhood Studies to date. Exploring childhood as a social construct rather than a 'natural' developmental process, Jenks challenges the reader on one traditional assumption after another and encourages us to reimagine childhood for it's actual social content and not just it's potentiality toward achieving adulthood.

This book... even before Erickson and Piaget... should be required reading for anyone who works with children and youth or endeavors to understand the experiences of children.

[Shanna]

Recalled at McGill, but the first half is great.