Deconstructing Developmental Psychology

Reviews / Votes

"This book by Erica Burman is lucid work." - Conchi San Martin in Feminist Review


"I think this book would make a challenging text for senior undergraduate and postgraduate courses that examine notions of development in psychology, counselling, social work, international development studies or education." - Lise Bird Claiborne, University of Waikato, New Zealand, in Feminism & Psychology


"This book is a powerful text in unearthing oppressive discourses, constructing knowledge in a way that promotes the interests of the oppressed whilst equipping the reader with not only a critical education, but also with new, less problematic, ways to engage with the world beyond the book." - Brona Nic Giolla Easpaig & David Fryer, Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia, in Forum: Qualitative Social Research


"This accessible book is essential reading." - Yvette Solomon in Gender and Education


"I would recommend this book for all those who work in developmental psychology, as well as parents who may also find many helpful, reassuring reflections." - Belinda Medhurst in Educational Psychology in Practice


"This completely revised new edition raises many new and compelling questions about the ways in which "experts" have tried to "understand" children. It presents a unique intermingling of discussions of contemporary research about young children with every day examples from children's lives; as such the book is refreshingly readable and will appeal to a wide ranging audience. Every aspiring scholar of childhood should be required to read this book." - Radhika Viruru, Texas A&M University





"This book brings into clear focus how history, geography, culture and politics have shaped the concerns and concepts of developmental psychology and produced powerful, often oppressive, effects for children. Engaging with Burman's detailed and compelling arguments should be mandatory for all students and researchers of children's lives. A book to provoke, debate and inspire other ways to know and be with children." - Professor Glenda Mac Naughton, Director of the Centre for Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood, Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne.





"This book is a vital resource for all who are engaged in trying to deconstruct and border cross the hegemonic role of developmental psychology in the field of early childhood education and childhood studies. Due to the author's own impressive familiarity both with the field, but also with discourses outside the field, it has been possible to identify and evaluate what is taken for given in the field. What makes the book particularly compelling is the effort to bring in historical accords in relation to the new geopolitical situation." - Gunilla Dahlberg, Professor of Early Childhood Education, Stockholm Institute of Education, Stockholm, Sweden





"This version is even better than the first, with new, contemporary, compelling examples of the social-political context of developmental psychology. Burman is critical yet positive, bold yet thoughtful, provocative yet balanced, and deconstructive yet constructive. After reading this book you'll never think about attachment, families, or language learning in the same way again." - Patricia H. Miller, Ph.D., Professor and Head, Dept. of Psychology, University of Georgia





"The first edition of this book was cutting edge and visionary in its sustained, critical analysis of developmental psychological theories and assumptions. This new edition takes forward its innovatory focus by updating the concerns of the first edition and situating them in changes in the geopolitical and developmental psychology landscape over the last 15 years. The clarity of its writing makes it invaluable and accessible to both academic audiences and interested laypeople." - Ann Phoenix, Professor of Social and Developmental Psychology, the Open University and Co-Director of the Thomas Coram Research Unit, institute of Education, University of London