The 19th century brought a decisive shift towards a "modern" form of childhood - one protected from the hazards and responsibilities of adulthood. Families in the West began to expect children to go to school rather than to work, to play in parks and playgrounds rather than to roam the streets, and to be kept healthy under the watchful eye of doctors and nurses. In response to both the demands and the depredations of the Industrial Revolution, the period saw unprecedented state intervention in areas such as education and health care reform.

A Cultural History of Childhood and Family in the Age of Empire presents essays on family relationships, community, economy, geography and the environment, education, life cycle, the state, faith and religion, health and science, and world contexts.