Childhood

by David Bohm

In this book Chris Jenks looks at what the ways in which we construct our image of childhood can tell us about ourselves. After a general discussion of the social construction of childhood, the book is structured around three examples of the way the image of the child is played out in society:

the history of childhood from medieval times through the enlightenment 'discovery' of childhood to the present the mythology and reality of child abuse and society's response to it the 'death' of childhood in cases such as the James Bulger murder in which the child itself becomes the perpetrator of evil. Part of the highly successful Key Ideas series, this book gives students a concise, provocative insight into some of the controlling concepts of our culture.

Genres: Nonfiction

190 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 1996

About the author

David Joseph Bohm (December 20, 1917 – October 27, 1992) was an American scientist who has been described as one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century and who contributed innovative and unorthodox ideas to quantum theory, neuropsychology and the philosophy of mind.

Reviews

[Erendira]

Not in library or available through ILL.

amazon Childhood list

[Rebeka Kuszinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Egyik legjobb szakirodalmam a disszertációmhoz, 100%ban backupol, nagyon jó olvasni, csak kicsit sokszor írja le ugyanazt. De who am i to judge, én is ezt csinálom.

(amúgy ezt Chris Jenks írta, nem értem, miért nincs fent jól ezen a szar honlapon ez a kiadás)

[Adam Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Childhood" Jenks stabs at the heart of sociology's obsession with mythology, this time in the form of childhood. By providing a concise, if inaccessible, analysis of why and how sociologists, psychologists, and educators conceive of children, Jenks encourages a critical examination of the assumptions behind many institutions. This book provides necessary support for conversations about youth rights, civic engagement, and the roles of young people throughout society. It is a powerful tool for the determined popular reader, and an introductory lever for the academic.

[Wesley Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! This may be the best work in Childhood Studies to date. Exploring childhood as a social construct rather than a 'natural' developmental process, Jenks challenges the reader on one traditional assumption after another and encourages us to reimagine childhood for it's actual social content and not just it's potentiality toward achieving adulthood.

This book... even before Erickson and Piaget... should be required reading for anyone who works with children and youth or endeavors to understand the experiences of children.

[Shanna]

Recalled at McGill, but the first half is great.