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Debating Childhoods
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Debating Childhoods
Critical Perspectives on Early Childhood

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Childhood & Society
October 2025 | 216 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
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This book aims to challenge dominant narratives of childhood, offering a critical exploration of ten contemporary debates.

Authored by experienced professionals and academics in the field, this thought-provoking book examines the impact of these debates on children's lived experiences through a socio-cultural lens. Bolstered by reflective questions and illustrative case studies, it stimulates discussions on social justice, children's rights, and their positioning within political and economic contexts.

Written for students and professionals, ‘Debating Childhoods’ serves as a catalyst for critical engagement and aims to empower current and future scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to consider their roles in shaping the lives of young children. 
 
 
Chapter 1: Constructions of Childhood
 
Chapter 2: The Neo-Liberal Child: Current consumers, future workers
 
Chapter 3: The Successful Child: Forms of capital and childhood
 
Chapter 4: Children as Rights Holders: Rhetoric or reality?
 
Chapter 5: Policy: For children or about children?
 
Chapter 6: The Commercialisation of Childhood
 
Chapter 7: Children’s Health and Well-Being
 
Chapter 8: Play: Investment or pleasure?
 
Chapter 9: Measuring Childhood: The good, the bad and the ugly
 
Chapter 10: The Unique Child
 
Chapter 11: Taking Childhood Seriously: Listening, agency and advocacy

Joe Brown

Joe Brown is the programme leader of the BA (Hons) Early Childhood programme at UWE Bristol. He has worked in the early childhood field for over 25 years, including 20 years teaching and leading a variety of higher education programmes in early childhood and playwork. Throughout this time, he has been motivated by the belief that children are confident and agentic social actors who can play an important role in their communities, as long as there are adults who are willing to advocate for them. Joe’s professional interests include the impact of neoliberal policies on young children’s lived experiences, personal interests include a... More About Author

Tim Clark

Tim Clark is the Director of Research and Enterprise for the School of Education and Childhood at UWE Bristol. Prior to moving into academia he gained 20 years’ experience of working in early childhood settings, including 12 years leading and managing early education provision for a community organisation in Bristol. He has taught on the BA (Hons) Early Childhood at UWE for 5 years and conducted research into the experiences of early childhood graduates. He is a member of the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN) Research Strategy Group, and co-lead for the Children, Childhood and Young People strand of UWE’s Education and... More About Author

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