Middle Childhood - Softcover

Brown, Jane; Borland, Moira; Laybourn, Ann; Hill, Malcolm

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1853024732 ISBN 13: 9781853024733

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1998

Synopsis

The period of childhood which falls between the early years and adolescence is one which many parents perceive as crucial and anxiety-provoking, but is a comparatively neglected area of study. As a child reaches middle childhood, relationships within the family have to be adjusted to accommodate the child's growing independence and sexual development, and his or her attitudes to these changes. While children are less worried about this period of their lives than their parents, they too may suffer from insecurities and have needs that they feel are overlooked or minimised by adults.

This book draws on interviews and group discussions with parents and children of primary-school age, conducted during two qualitative studies. It examines how children perceive their social environs; what they want from their parents; how aware they are of their rights. These are contrasted with their parents' views of the same subjects and different styles of parenting. Children's attitudes to risks such as bullying or taking drugs often diverge startlingly from those of their parents.

In its combination of viewpoints, set against a background of related research, law, policy and practice, this book offers a rich and challenging study of an important period of the child's development.

About this title

From the Author

Moira Borland, Ann Laybourn, Malcolm Hill and Jane Brown work at the Centre for Child and Society, University of Glasgow.

Review

Middle Childhood helpfully increases situated knowledge of children's and parents' own views... A concluding message of the book is that adult guidance should take more account of children's wishes. Author: Youth and Policy

The authors have produced here a wealth of rich material relating to a little explored period of childhood. The book succeeds in its aim of appealing to a popular audience because it is easy to read and sufficiently anecdotal to retain the general reader's interest. Professionals will also find it useful to the extent that it explores children's major concerns over friendships and parental relationships... It is a useful addition to the literature on childhood studies. Author: Child and Family Social Work

Middle Childhood draws on interviews and group discussions with parents and children of primary school age conducted for two qualitative studies. It compares parents and children's perceptions of social and emotional issues... This book fills a gap in childhood studies and will appeal to academics and professionals. It is set in the context of the huge social, economic and technological changes of the last 50 years. Author: Community Care

This is a fascinating and important new book for anyone caring for their own or other people's children and for all child care workers. It reveals a wealth of information, from two small-scale studies in Scotland, about how parents and children see themselves and each other as they go about their daily business of being a family. Although Middle Childhood does not aim to develop theory, there is a splendid chapter towards the end of the book, linking theories of childhood to the subjective accounts of "lay people". It is a pleasure to have such an accessible report of research findings for practitioners. Author: Adoption & Fostering

Although the presentation looks rather academic (dull!) the book is relatively easy to read. Most of the children in the study didn't want expensive possessions or free reign, they wanted respect and love of adults. Read the book, if only to remind yourself what it's like to be a child. Author: Foster Care

The authors have produced here a wealth of rich material relating to a little explored period of childhood. The book succeeds in its aim of appealing to a popular audience because it is easy to read and sufficiently anecdotal to retain the general reader's interest. Professionals will also find it useful to the extent that it explores children's major concerns over friendships and parental relationships... A useful addition to the literature on childhood studies. Author: Child and Family Social Work

About this edition

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1853024732
• ISBN 13: 9781853024733
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224