Child Care and the Psychology of Development

Feminists have long argued for the provision of day-care facilities so that mothers may be free to work outside the home. The call, however, has enjoyed little support from politicians and experts. Feminists have been seen to stand for women's interests, and psychologists and pedagogues for children's - as if the two were opposed. Only recently have the opinions of the politicians and experts begun to change. Yet even so, a positive policy on day-care, and production of pedagogical and psychological knowledge of the consequences for children and parents, is still lacking. Elly Singer analyses the historical roots of the contradictions, dilemmas and vicissitudes of power in the current political debates on child-care inside and outside the home. She traces the history of developmental psychology against the background of international social movements to reform child care, especially in England, the USA and the Netherlands. What are the common grounds? Elly Singer challenges familiar concepts and attempts to open up new ways of thinking to meet the new situations in which many children and live.
This book should be of interest to students in psychology, education, and women's studies.