To understand childhood, you need to understand all of the social factors which surround it.
If you are studying Early Years or Early Childhood Studies then this book is for you. It gives you an introduction to the study of childhood and the different contexts within which childhood exists. It encourages you to re-think childhood and explore it from different perspectives, whether looking at the child within the family, global perspectives or the child's own view point. This helps you understand childhood in relation to society and to develop the skills to look at childhood from a critical standpoint.
The context of childhood: social understanding of childhood
The historical context: the emergence of childhood
The philosophical context: the early years tradition and evolution of early years provision
The context of the family: first experiences
The context of partnership: children in transition
The context of the setting: childhood institutions
The community context: children as citizens
The national context: children and social policy
The global context: international perspectives
The child's own context: the child's voice and agency
The future context: the twenty-first century child
The virtual context: children in a digital world
