"Some of the best scholars in childhood studies have contributed to this volume, providing insightful overviews and, in some cases, interesting new lines of argument. Clustered around historical, sociocultural, and policy perspectives on childhood, the essays highlight both the pleasures and the challenges of interdisciplinary research. An engaging and readable pathway into a flourishing field of research."Barrie Thorne, University of California, Berkeley

• What is childhood and how can it be understood and studied?
• How do our views of childhood shape the ways in which children are treated?

Educationalists and social scientists are increasingly interested in childhood as a distinct social category, and Childhood Studies is now a recognised area of research and analysis. This book brings together the key themes of Childhood Studies in a broad and accessible introduction for students and practitioners working in this field.

Contributors examine childhood from historical, socio-cultural and policy perspectives. Each chapter is written by an expert who looks at a different aspect of childhood, including historical representations of childhood; the construction of childhood in children’s literature; childhood and sexuality; the sociology of childhood; developmental psychology; the changing nature of children's relationships with the electronic media; children’s rights; and children and the law.

This key textbook is designed for students following Childhood Studies courses, as well as for courses in child psychology, children’s literature, the sociology of youth and childhood, cultural studies, social policy and anthropology.