Local Childhoods, Global Issues

Description

Although the plight of children can sometimes seem grim, there are positive indicators. This interdisciplinary textbook examines children's lives across the world, acknowledging the great differences as well as points of comparison, between childhoods in different contexts. It examines children's use of their own resources and coping strategies, revealing that few children are passive victims of fate, helplessly awaiting rescue. The book considers the problems caused by poverty, social inequality, ill-health and violence and emphasises that these are challenges for children everywhere, not just those in the poorer countries of the world. A key feature of the book is the children's voices which feature prominently in many chapters in interviews and research conducted by the authors. This well-presented and engagingly written book is an ideal introduction for undergraduates interested in contemporary global childhoods.

Heather Montgomery is Reader in the Anthropology of Childhood at The Open University, UK. She has carried out research with young sex workers in Thailand and written extensively on issues of children's rights, global childhoods and representations of childhood.

"An excellent book for undergraduate students." Dr Anne Marie Smith, Bangor Univeristy. "Local childhoods, global issues is a fascinating and accessible book that recognises children's resilience, competency and agency and the importance of child welfare to global and national politics." Dr Karen Wells, Assistant Dean, Department of Geography, Environment and Development Studies Birkbeck "This is an indispensable book for anyone interested in contemporary international childhoods. Beautifully presented and clearly written, it offers a compelling and realistic portrait of children's lives and the many challenges they face across the globe." Professor Jo Boyden, Director of Young Lives, University of Oxford "An excellent textbook for undergraduate students." Dr Anne Marie Smith, Bangor Univeristy.