Children's social relationships in and out of the classroom are the starting point for Parts One and Two of this text, with chapters on the growing importance of children's friendships, and the way individual and cultural differences affect children's social participation and their sense of self. Chapters look at the process of creating and maintaining peer cultures, with particular emphasis on the issues of peer rejection and bullying. Part Three explores adolescent development, including perspectives from both psychology and sociology. The book concludes with a re-examination of cultural concepts of childhood, child development and the nature of children's autonomy.
