What is the History of Childhood?

People experience childhood differently depending on the time and place. The history of childhood explores different ways that childhood is socially constructed, as well as tells the story of the past from the perspective of the young. Telling history from the bottom up changes the way we think about concepts like time, emotions, political power, age, and progress.

Morrison traces the evolution of this field, introduces key concepts, methods, and debates, summarizes key themes, and discusses future challenges. The book explains and comments upon the field to readers who have some interest in, but little grounding in, the history of childhood. The coverage seeks to be as global as possible to indicate the growing reach of the flourishing field in the English-speaking world.

Since its inception in the 1960s, the history of childhood has become a permanent and vibrant fixture in academic course offerings, book series, journals, and associations worldwide. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in any aspect of the world because children are everywhere, in politics, economics, society, culture, psychology, religion, and law. The future of the world is intricately linked to the history of its children.