Child Labor: A World History Companion (World History Companions) - Hardcover

Hobbs, Sandy; McKechnie, Jim; Lavalette, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0874369568 ISBN 13: 9780874369564

Publisher: ABC-CLIO, 1999

Synopsis

Consult this handy reference work when you need accurate, up to date information on subjects ranging from the effects of work on children's education to the use of child labor in Eastern Europe.

· A–Z entries are also arranged by category

· Numerous citations of contemporary books and studies

About this title

About the Author:

James McKechnie is senior lecturer and expert in psychology at the University of Paisley, Paisley, Scotland.

Sandy Hobbs is senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Paisley, Paisley, Scotland.

From Booklist:

Mention the Anthracite Coal Strike, the Burston School Strike, the Lawrence Mill Workers' Strike, the Paterson 10-Hour Mill Strikes, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, and child labor may come to mind. Adopting a broad approach, this handy A^-Z companion includes much useful information on the topic of labor. The authors have clearly defined their scope. A fairly broad definition of a child is used; people who also might be described as adolescents or young people, as well as younger children, are included. Labor is broadly interpreted. In terms of time, the authors note that it is with the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution that child labor became a matter of public debate. For this reason, there are few references in the book to events before the eighteenth century. Readers will also notice a certain imbalance in the treatment of different countries. The authors have covered the histories of two countries, the U.S. and Great Britain, in great detail. Outside of the U.K. and the U.S., they have been selective in coverage.

This relatively slim volume is jam-packed. There is information on the jobs children do and the industries they work in, including, for example, carpet manufacture, domestic service, the garment industry, harvesting, modeling, and prostitution. Readers will also find entries for child workers and former child workers, including Charles Dickens, Dundee Factory Boy (hero of a book published in 1850), and Iqbal Masih, the boy who helped raise awareness of abuses in the Pakistani carpet industry before he was murdered in 1996. Here too is information on problems associated with children working, such as accidents, alcohol and drugs, and runaways, as well as strategies for addressing problems, such as advocacy and children's rights. Economic and technological concerns are covered in Capitalism, Globalization, Wages, and World Bank, among other entries. Child labor organizations and individuals concerned with child workers are here too, in entries for the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, the National Movement of Street Children, Grace Abbott, Jane Addams, and Mother Jones, to name a few. Added value is provided by an appendix that lists Web sites, a glossary, a list of acronyms, a chronology, a bibliography; and an index.

This volume fills a gap and will be appreciated by reference librarians in academic, public, and high-school libraries. Readers looking for scholarly treatment of the issues can use the bibliography as a starting point for further research.

About this edition

• Publisher: ABC-CLIO
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0874369568
• ISBN 13: 9780874369564
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 316