European Childhoods: Cultures, Politics and Childhoods in Europe

Edited by two of the leading academics in the field of childhood studies, this collection draws together contributions from a number of different European countries. It sets out to explore the ways in which 'culture' is produced and reproduced through social policies and practices relating to children and to identify any commonalities or differences between them, a task which is of central importance to the debate about both individual and national identities in the context of a developing Europe. Drawing on a variety of empirical evidence - including the analysis of policy documents in different European States, the consideration of how 'childhood' is constructed and represented through the implementation of such policies, and the impact of these on children themselves - the book offers a revealing analysis of the different ways in which children are positioned by such policies throughout Europe. It asks about the significance of these for both childhood and for the future adult citizens that today's children will become.