Anthropological Perspectives on Children as Helpers, Workers, Artisans, and Laborers
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Palgrave Macmillan
Published:12th Dec '17
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
The study of childhood in academia has been dominated by a mono-cultural or WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) perspective. Within the field of anthropology, however, a contrasting and more varied view is emerging. While the phenomenon of children as workers is ephemeral in WEIRD society and in the literature on child development, there is ample cross-cultural and historical evidence of children making vital contributions to the family economy. Children’s “labor” is of great interest to researchers, but widely treated as extra-cultural—an aberration that must be controlled. Work as a central component in children’s lives, development, and identity goes unappreciated. Anthropological Perspectives on Children as Helpers, Workers, Artisans, and Laborers aims to rectify that omission by surveying and synthesizing a robust corpus of material, with particular emphasis on two prominent themes: the processes involved in learning to work and the interaction between ontogeny and children’s roles as workers.
“Anthropological Perspectives on Children as Helpers, Workers, Artisans, and Laborers is a superbly written, well-researched, and ethnographically grounded text that is easy to follow and clear with its examples. It is ideal for entry-level undergraduates studying the anthropology of work, play, kinship, and socialization as well as for courses in labor and childhood studies.” (Jennifer E. Shaw, Anthropology of Work Review, Vol. 41 (2), 2020)
“Lancy draws on a wide corpus of literature and presents a variety of valuable insights into children’s work, and their potential to learn from this work, across societies and geographical contexts. … This volume’s synthesis of anthropological insights into children’s work and its changing forms across cultures and livelihoods, emphasising children’s ingenuity, skills and ability to pursue their own learning, is commendable.” (Gemma Pearson, Children's Geographies, Vol. 17 (5), 2019)
“Lancy’s comprehensive overview highlights the importance of anthropological research for understanding cultural variation in children’s socialization and work activities. … this volume is a welcome and invaluable contribution to anthropological scholarship on childhood.” (Wendy Klein, American Anthropologist, Vol. 120 (3), 2018)
ISBN: 9781137533531
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 467g
245 pages
1st ed. 2018