For anyone studying childhood or families a consideration of the state may not always seem obvious, yet a good critical knowledge of politics, social policy and social theory is vital to understanding their impacts upon families' everyday lives. Accessibly written and assuming no prior understanding, it shows how key concepts, including vulnerability, risk, resilience, safeguarding and wellbeing are socially constructed. Carefully designed to support learning, it provides students with clear guidance on how to use what they have read when writing academic assignments alongside questions designed to support the develop of critical thinking skills. Covering issues from what the family is within a multicultural society, through issues around poverty, social mobility and life-chances, this book gives students an excellent grounding in matters relating to work with children and families. It features: * 'using this chapter' sections showing how the content can be used in assignments; * tips on applying critical thinking to books and articles - and how to make use of such thinking in essays; * further reading.

For anyone studying childhood or families a consideration of the state may not always seem obvious, yet a good critical knowledge of politics, social policy and social theory is vital to understanding their impacts upon families' everyday lives. Accessibly written and assuming no prior understanding, it shows how key concepts, including vulnerability, risk, resilience, safeguarding and wellbeing are socially constructed. Carefully designed to support learning, it provides students with clear guidance on how to use what they have read when writing academic assignments alongside questions designed to support the develop of critical thinking skills. Covering issues from what the family is within a multicultural society, through issues around poverty, social mobility and life-chances, this book gives students an excellent grounding in matters relating to work with children and families. It features: * 'using this chapter' sections showing how the content can be used in assignments; * tips on applying critical thinking to books and articles - and how to make use of such thinking in essays; * further reading.

This book explores the links between recent reports of increasing levels of unhappiness and mental health problems amongst children and young people, and changes within childhood which restrict and reduce opportunities for children to develop and maintain resilience. Although in academic terms children may be viewed as beings, Creasy and Corby posit that there is much to suggest that for parents, practitioners and policy-makers, children are primarily seen as becomings. The book argues that viewing children as becomings, together with the idea that childhood is fraught with danger, contributes to practices and policies which can be seen as making childhood tame. This taming of childhood leads to an impoverished childhood that does not provide the space that children need to grow and develop. Furthermore, Taming Childhood? challenges the idea that young adults are 'snowflakes', unable to cope with everyday pressures. Students and scholars across a range of social science disciplines will find this book of interest.