Full Description
Over the past twenty years, the sociology of childhood has developed fast. In the UK and Europe, many studies now focus on the child as social agent, and the notion of the child as social construction - varying across times and places - has gained in popularity. However, in the UK at least, the development of theory has lagged behind. Childhood in Generational Perspective moves forward, intensively considering the value of generation in helping us rethink childhood. Relations between children and adults (parents, teachers and others) are between people belonging to different cohorts, having differing cultural experiences and identities. But these relations are also influenced more generally by the generational order of society. The authors consider these ideas and how they intersect. This important book contains new perspectives on theoretical issues from distinguished European scholars, providing challenging reading for teachers and students of the sociology of childhood.
Contents
Foreword Introduction by Berry Mayall and Helga Zeiher Part OneProcesses of producing generation: theoretical frameworks 1 Childhoods: the generational ordering of social relations by Leena Alanen 2 Biographical revisions and the coherence of a generation by Michael Corsten Part Two: Intergenerational relations - in and beyond the family 3 The transmission of social and cultural capital between family generations by Peter Buchner 4 Generation and gender: childhood studies and feminism by Berry Mayall Part Three: Forming children's identity as a socio-cultural generation 5 The role of media and commercial culture in children's experience of collective identities by Heinz Hengst 6 Children, place, space and generation by Pia Christensen and Alan Prout Part Four: Historical dynamics in the development of childhood 7 Intergenerational relations and social change in childhood: examples from West Germany by Helga Zeiher
