Grounded in the Foucauldian literature on governmentality and drawing on a broad range of disciplines, this book examines the government of childhood in the West from the early modern period to the present. The book deals with three key time-periods and examines shifts in the conceptualization and regulation of childhood and child-rearing.

Great Myths of Child Development reveals the latest evidence-based science behind the myths and misconceptions about the developing child. * Shatters the most commonly-held child development myths * Reveals the science behind such topical issues as twin-telepathy, sex-prediction, and imaginary friends * Covers hot-button issues like childhood vaccines, spankings, time-outs, and breastfeeding of older children * Features numerous pop culture references and examples drawn from popular TV shows and movies, such as Duck Dynasty, Modern Family and Mad Men * Points to a wealth of supplementary resources for interested parents from evidence-based treatments and self-help books to relevant websites

Bringing together theories, ideas, insights and experiences of practitioners and researchers from Brazil, India, South Africa and the UK, this book explores children and young people's involvement in public action. The contributors consider the potential of children and young people's participation to be transformative.

Bringing together academic and practitioner points of view, this edited collection shows how violence enters into ordinary, routine practices of childhood and children's experiences. The contributing authors seek to understand how violence is enacted against children in infancy, adolescence, in school, in care, at home and on the street.

This volume addresses the conditions allowing the transformation of specific children s rights into capabilities in settings as different as children s parliaments, organized leisure activities, contexts of vulnerability, children in care. It addresses theoretical questions linked to children s agency and reflexivity, education, the life cycle perspective, child participation, evolving capabilities and citizenship. The volume highlights important issues that have to be taken into account for the implementation of human rights and the development of peoples capabilities. The focus on children s capabilities along a rights-based approach is an inspiring perspective that researchers and practitioners in the field of human rights would like to deepen. "

This book presents the latest evidence from Young Lives, a unique international study of children and poverty. It shows how the persistence of inequality amid general economic growth is leaving some extremely poor children behind, despite the promises of the Millennium Development Goals.

Can White parents teach their Black children African American culture and history? Can they impart to them the survival skills necessary to survive in the racially stratified United States? Concerns over racial identity have been at the center of controversies over transracial adoption since the 1970s, as questions continually arise about whether White parents are capable of instilling a positive sense of African American identity in their Black children.

" An] empathetic study of meanings of cross-racial adoption to adoptees"
"--Law and Politics Book Review, Vol. 11, No. 11, Nov. 2001"

Through in-depth interviews with adult transracial adoptees, as well as with social workers in adoption agencies, Sandra Patton, herself an adoptee, explores the social construction of race, identity, gender, and family and the ways in which these interact with public policy about adoption. Patton offers a compelling overview of the issues at stake in transracial adoption. She discusses recent changes in adoption and social welfare policy which prohibit consideration of race in the placement of children, as well as public policy definitions of "bad mothers" which can foster coerced aspects of adoption, to show how the lives of transracial adoptees have been shaped by the policies of the U.S. child welfare system.

Neither an argument for nor against the practice of transracial adoption, BirthMarks seeks to counter the dominant public view of this practice as a panacea to the so-called "epidemic" of illegitimacy and the misfortune of infertility among the middle class with a more nuanced view that gives voice to those directly involved, shedding light on the ways in which Black and multiracial adoptees articulate their own identity experiences.

How can families of children with disabilities plan for lasting financial security at every stage of life? Find clear answers in The Special Needs Planning Guide, a step-by-step companion for parents as they progress through the complexities of planning for the future of their family and their child. Written by two financial planning experts who are also a parent and a sibling of a person with disabilities, and including contributions from a nationally recognized advocate, this bestselling how-to guide is now in its second edition. Revised, reorganized, and carefully updated to reflect current law, this book gives families the real-world advice, strategies, and actions needed to plan for both their future and the well-being and security of their child. With clarity and compassion, the authors guide families in addressing five critical factors involved in special needs planning- family and support, emotional, financial, legal, and government benefits factors-at every stage of their child's life, from birth through adulthood. Throughout the book, readers will learn from the stories and advice of other caregivers, get helpful planning pointers and key questions to answer, and take action with the chapter lists of Next Steps. To help families customize the information in this book for their specific needs, this new edition also offers a complete package of online resources, including a fillable Special Needs Planning Timeline, easy-to-use financial planning worksheets, and an in-depth Letter of Intent template families can use to map out their vision for their child's life. Informed by decades of personal and professional experience, this reader-friendly guidebook will help families educate themselves about financial planning, create a complete action plan for their future, and provide the knowledge and the tools they need to work toward a secure and full life for their child. WHAT'S NEW: Fully revised chapters and online resources A 10-step process that breaks complex planning into manageable tasks Letter of Intent now available as a fillable PDF Excel worksheets for easy planning New chapters on Foundational Financial Strategies and Tools, and Advanced Strategies and Special Circumstances Helpful information on ABLE accounts, housing options, and military Survivor Benefit Plans New planning tips, pointers, and case stories Guidance on creating a Team to Carry On beyond the parents' lifetimes SELECTED TOPICS COVERED: special needs trusts funding * trustee selection * insurance strategies * investment guidance * estate planning * legal settlements * government benefits, such as SSI, SSDI, and housing benefits * goal-setting * advocacy * hiring financial and legal professionals * sibling considerations * contributions of extended support networks * retirement plans * guardianship and less restrictive alternatives

Child Law starts with the question "Who is the Child?" In direct contrast to the CRC, which calls for putting the interests of the child first in all policies dealing with children, it appears that the interests of others are the major consideration de facto. In law, children's right to protection is severely limited by the presence of a maximum age limit, with no consideration of the starting point: current and ongoing scientific research has demonstrated the effects of this non-consideration in a number of abnormalities and diseases, not only in children, but in adults and the elderly. The WHO has published a number of studies to that effect and the 2012 Report on Endocrine Disruptors more than confirms this claim. This and other scientific insights that have largely been ignored show the flaws and inadequacies of the legal regimes intended to protect children, in a number of areas, from the basic public health to the right to normal development; child labor law conventions; in conflict situations; as a result of climate and other events; children as illegal migrants and as inmates in prison camps.

Comparing the educational experiences of adolescents from a variety of 'visible' ethnic minority groups across Europe, and focusing on underprivileged urban contexts, this book reveals the structural inequalities, as well as the often conflicting inter-ethnic relations which develop in classrooms, playgrounds and larger communities.

This timely volume offers an in-depth theoretical analysis of children's experiences growing up with mobile internet technologies. Drawing on up-to-date research, it explores the relationship between childhood as a social and cultural construction and the plethora of mobile internet technologies which have become ubiquitous in everyday life.

There are millions of children experiencing parental imprisonment all over the world. This book is about their problems, human rights and how they are treated throughout the justice process from the arrest of a parent to imprisonment and release.

Early Childhood in Postcolonial Australia is a critical narration of how Australian children use cultural markers such as, skin color, diet and religious practices to build their identity categories of "self" and "other."

Thatcher's Grandchildren explores sociological and political issues about childhood that have that have become increasingly significant in the twenty first century within a political landscape framed by neo-liberalism. Issues addressed include child protection and abuse, the media, education and schooling, and poverty.

"Sociologists will appreciate [CAtA(c)'s] attempt at showing the social and structural roots of and consequences for unbridled consumerism."
--"Contemporary Sociology"

Why are today's adults more like adolescents, in their dress and personal tastes, than ever before? Why do so many adults seem to drift and avoid responsibilities such as work and family? As the traditional family breaks down and marriage and child rearing are delayed, what makes a person an adult?

Many people in the industrial West are simply not "growing up" in the traditional sense. Instead, they pursue personal, individual fulfillment and emerge from a vague and prolonged youth into a vague and insecure adulthood. The transition to adulthood is becoming more hazardous, and the destination is becoming more difficult to reach, if it is reached at all.

Arrested Adulthood examines the variety of young people's responses to this new situation. James E. CAtA(c) shows us adults who allow the profit-driven industries of mass culture to provide the structure that is missing, as their lives become more individualistic and atomized. He also shows adults who resist anomie and build their world around their sense of personal connectedness to others. Finally, CAtA(c) provides a vision of a truly progressive society in which all members can develop their potentials apart from the influence of the market. In so doing, he gives us a clearer vision of what it means to be an adult and makes sense of the longest, but least understood period of the life course.

Children have been exploited as performers and wooed energetically as consumers throughout history. These essays offer scholarly investigations into the employment and participation of children in the entertainment industry with examples drawn from historical and contemporary contexts.

Over several generations villagers of Dominica have been shifting from Patwa, an Afro-French creole, to English, the official language. Despite government efforts at Patwa revitalization and cultural heritage tourism, rural caregivers and teachers prohibit children from speaking Patwa in their presence. Drawing on detailed ethnographic fieldwork and analysis of video-recorded social interaction in naturalistic home, school, village and urban settings, the study explores this paradox and examines the role of children and their social worlds. It offers much-needed insights into the study of language socialization, language shift and Caribbean children's agency and social lives, contributing to the burgeoning interdisciplinary study of children's cultures. Further, it demonstrates the critical role played by children in the transmission and transformation of linguistic practices, which ultimately may determine the fate of a language.

Through a rich ethnography of street and working children in Calcutta, India, this book offers the first sustained enquiry into postcolonial childhoods, arguing that the lingering effects of colonialism are central to comprehending why these children struggle to inhabit the transition from labour to schooling.

In 2012, over 200 academics who are active in international childhood and youth research gathered together alongside young people for a unique ICYRNet conference where they debated and discussed participatory approaches. Participation, Citizenship and Intergenerational Relations in Children and Young People's Lives continues the dialogue between young people and adults that started then. This edited collection draws together work from six countries about participatory research and intergenerational relations. Adopting participatory techniques, the editors worked with children and young people to co-author three chapters that each reflect young people's interpretations of three chapters written by adults. This provides a unique insight into how children and young people view research which is about them as well as highlighting their perspectives on research which resonates with their own life experiences. The book includes reference to a wealth of supplementary visual and audio materials which are available on the conference website at www.dvigc.com.

A timely, original study of the emergence of a new type of thinking about children and their rights in contemporary urban China, which draws on diverse evidence from Chinese government, academic, media, and pedagogic publications, as well as on participant observation and interviews in two primary schools and among elite and middle class families in Shanghai, China. Drawing on rich, ethnographic data, this book debunks many popular and scholarly stereotypes about the predominance of Confucian ideas of parental authority in China or about the indifference to individual human rights in the political and public culture of the PRC. This book also recognizes the complexities and conflicts that exist in Chinese discourses about and practices toward children, as older ideas of filiality, neoliberal ideologies, and the new awareness of children's right to privacy, to expressing their views, and to protection against violence compete and collude in complicated, often contradictory ways.

From comparative perspective, this book explores the dynamics of child soldiering on the Myanmar-China border (i.e., Kachin and Shan States of Myanmar). At the same time, this book examines the structural factors and specific relationships between child soldiers, which have impacts on child soldiering. This book reveals that Myanmar has limited power to reduce child soldiering on the Myanmar-China border, and there is no optimal solution for reducing child soldiering in the near future. Instead, the book introduces the "transnational public-private partnership" approach as a "second best" solution and proposes suitable countermeasures for all the stakeholders.

Free Teacher's Guide available for Childhood in America! An essential collection of sources on American childhood for teachers Childhood in America is a unique compendium of sources on American childhood that has many options for classroom adoptions and can be tailored to individual course needs. Because the subject of childhood is both relatively new on campuses and now widely recognized as vital to a range of specialties, the editors have prepared a Teacher's Guide to assist you in making selections appropriate for your courses. Collecting a vast array of selections from past and present- from colonial ministers to Drs. Benjamin Spock and T. Berry Brazelton, from the poems of Anne Bradstreet to the writings of today's young people- Childhood in America brings to light the central issues surrounding American children. Eleven sections on childbirth through adolescence explore a cornucopia of issues, and each section has been carefully selected and introduced by the editors.

Ensuring online safety has become a topic on the regulatory agenda in many Western societies. However, regulating for online safety is far from easy, due to the wide variety of national and international, private and public actors and stakeholders that are involved. When regulating online risks for children it is important to strike the right balance between protection against harms on the one hand and safeguarding their fundamental freedoms and rights on the other. The authors in this book attempt to grapple with precisely this theme: striking the right balance between ensuring safety for children on the internet while at the same time enabling them to experiment, to learn, to enrich their lives, to acquire skills and to have fun using this global network. The authors come from various scientific disciplines, ranging from law to social science and from media studies to philosophy. This means that the book provides the reader with both empirical and theoretical/conceptual chapters and sheds a multi-disciplinary light on the complex topic of regulating online safety for children.

Following the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the case for children's involvement in decision-making processes has been championed by pressure groups and voluntary organisations. Planning with children for better communities argues that there is now a need to transfer these ideas and experiences to mainstream services of local authorities, regeneration agencies and other organisations. In addition to clarifying why the issue of children's participation should be prioritised, the authors use examples and case studies from a variety of professions and disciplines in order to explain different methods which can be used to support participation. The book: analyses children's and young people's contemporary place in local communities; locates debates about children's and young people's participation in local communities within government social and economic policy; captures children's and young people's views and experiences of community life. The authors conclude that there should be greater recognition of the right of children to determine significant decisions affecting them - children have a clear entitlement to involvement in key decisions which influence their lives. Planning with children for better communities is important reading for local authority planners and policy makers, project workers, community development workers, children's rights officers, youth workers, play workers and students of social and community work and politics. It should also be read by those people in the voluntary and community sector concerned with children's issues relating to planning and community development.