An Introduction To Childhood - Anthropological Perspectives On Children'S Lives

In An Introduction to Childhood, Heather Montgomery examines the role children have played within anthropology, how they have been studied by anthropologists and how they have been portrayed and analyzed in ethnographic monographs over the last one hundred and fifty years.
Offers a comprehensive overview of childhood from an anthropological perspective
Draws upon a wide range of examples and evidence from different geographical areas and belief systems
Synthesizes existing literature on the anthropology of childhood, while providing a fresh perspective
Engages students with illustrative ethnographies to illuminate key topics and themes

Heather Montgomery is a Senior Lecturer in Childhood Studies at The Open University. She has written on children and sexuality, tourism, children’s rights and on the role of children in anthropology. Her publications include Modern Babylon? Prostituting Children in Thailand (2001), Understanding Childhood: An Interdisciplinary Approach (2003, with Martin Woodhead), and Changing Childhoods: Global and Local (2003, with Martin Woodhead and Rachel Burr).

"An Introduction to Childhood is nicely written and makes the case well for undergraduate audiences that it is important to consider cultural differences in ideas about childhood. This is a timely issue and the book should be a useful addition to introductory undergraduate courses." (International Joumal of Sociology of the Family, February 2010)
"A timely, readable, and important work for all academic libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended." (CHOICE, October 2009)
"This book deserves a wide audience; it is an important resource not only for students of anthropology but also to people working in child protection in cross-cultural settings. ... Invaluable." (Children & Society, 2009)
"Throughout the book, the discussions give an insight into classic and contemporary anthropology related to children, which is important for everyone working with research in similar fields. The book is especially relevant for students. The style is clear and approachable … .Although it is not required of the reader to read the book from cover to cover, I strongly recommend doing so." (Childhood in the Past, 2009)
"This book provides a fascinating and comprehensive overview of the social anthropology of childhood, drawing on a range of material generated over the past century. It is written in an engaging, accessible style, and will be required reading for students, academics and professionals interested in understanding childhoods in contexts."
—Viginia Morrow, Reader in Childhood Studies, Institute of Education, University of London
"In this clearly written and informative book Heather Montgomery demonstrates the important contribution that contemporary perspectives on children's lives can make to the older anthropological tradition.....a valuable addition to the canon."
—Allison James, University of Sheffield
"This marvelous volume fills a long-standing need for a thorough history of anthropology's interest in childhood. There is excellent coverage of topics central in current thinking about child development such as discipline and sexuality as well as topics such as spirit children that are unique to anthropology. Montgomery's writing is engaging and accessible and this work should be warmly welcomed by scholars and their students."
—David Lancy, Utah State University
"Dr. Heather Montgomery has provided the field with an important resource for introducing our students to the invaluable contributions anthropology has made to understanding children and childhood. The volume is wide-ranging in scope covering both classic and contemporary issues."
—Jill Korbin, Associate Dean, Professor of Anthropology, Director, Schubert Center for Child Studies, Case-Western Reserve University
"Based on close reading of ethnographic texts, this book synthesises the many ways that anthropologists have written about children over the years with an enviable clarity and economy. Eminently readable, it will be of interest to those both outside anthropology and outside academia who have any interest in the world's children. The chapter on the many ways of thinking about unborn children is particularly fine and forces us to consider more deeply our own understanding of humanity and personhood."
—Laurence Brockliss, Director of Centre for the History of Childhood, University of Oxford

Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
1. Childhood within Anthropology.
Introduction.
Children: The First Primitives.
Culture and Personality.
Cross-Cultural Studies of Child-Rearing.
Children in British Anthropology.
The Gendered Child.
Child-Centered Anthropology.
Conclusion.
2. What is a Child?.
Introduction.
Childhood as a Modern Idea: The Influence of Philippe Ariès.
Conceptualizations of Childhood.
Children as Incompetent or Subordinate.
Children as Equals.
Children as a Means of Forming Families and Giving StatusChildren as an Economic Investment.
Unwanted and Nonhuman Children.
Conclusion.
3. The Beginning of Childhood.
Introduction.
Fetuses.
Spirit Children.
Reincarnation.
Anomalies.
Conclusion.
4. Family, Friends, and Peers.
Introduction.
The Role of Parents.
Adoption and Fosterage.
Children outside the Family.
Siblings.
Friends and Peer Groups.
Conclusion.
5. Talking, Playing, and Working.
Introduction.
Learning Language.
Children and Play.
Work or Play?.
Conclusion.
6. Discipline, Punishment, and Abuse.
Introduction.
Discipline and Punishment in the Western Tradition.
Physical Punishment.
Alternatives to Physical Punishment.
Who Can Punish Children?.
Child Abuse.
Conclusion.
7. Children and Sexuality.
Introduction.
Anthropology, Sexuality, and Childhood.
Children and Sex: The Influence of Freud.
Incest and Abuse.
Ethnographies of Children and Sexuality.
Child Prostitution.
Conclusion.
8. Adolescence and Initiation.
Introduction.
What is Adolescence?.
Adolescence and Globalization.
Initiation.
Initiation: A Psychological Approach.
Initiation and Education.
Initiation and Gender.
Initiation: The End of Childhood?.
Conclusion.
Conclusion.
Bibliography.
Index