The Child

A companion that brings together contemporary research on children and childhood from pediatrics, child psychology, childhood studies, education, sociology, history, law, anthropology, and other related areas. It includes more than 40 'Imagining Each Other' essays, which focus on the experiences of particular children in different cultures.

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Informed parents know there is an abundance of information about children and child development available on the Internet, but can they trust that the content they find is authoritative? Professionals who work with children know where to find research relevant to their specialty, but where can they go to find reliable information on other related disciplines? "The Child" offers both parents and professionals access to the best scholarship from all areas of child studies - and from all regions of the world - in a remarkable one-volume reference. This encyclopedic companion brings together contemporary research on children and childhood from pediatrics, child psychology, childhood studies, education, sociology, history, law, anthropology, and other related areas - in sum, more than five hundred articles, all written by experts in their fields and overseen by noted anthropologist Richard A. Shweder. Each entry begins with a concise and accessible synopsis of the topic at hand.
For example, the entry on 'adoption' begins with a general definition, followed by a detailed look at adoption in different cultures and at different times, a summary of the associated mental and developmental issues that can arise, and an overview of applicable legal and public policy both within the United States and elsewhere. Within the scope of a few pages, readers encounter a wide range of information and perspectives on this complex and fascinating topic. Entries also include multiple cross-references to guide readers toward related topics within the volume and suggestions for further reading. While many of the entries address universal, biological facts about children - most fetuses suck their thumbs, for example, and most babies develop musical rhythm by seven months - they also consider the many worlds of childhood within the United States and around the globe. Alongside the topical articles, "The Child" includes more than forty 'Imagining Each Other' essays, which focus on the experiences of particular children in different cultures.
In 'Work before Play for Yucatec Mayan Children', for example, readers learn of the work responsibilities of some modern-day Mexican children, while in 'A Hindu Brahman Boy Is Born Again', they witness a coming-of-age ritual in contemporary India. This is the best scholarship from a wide range of disciplines, including: anthropology; child development; childhood studies; education; History; Law; Literature; Pediatrics; Psychology; public policy; religion; and, Sociology. Compiled by some of the most distinguished child development researchers in the world, "The Child" will broaden the current scope of knowledge on children and childhood. It is an unparalleled resource for parents, social workers, researchers, educators, and others who work with children, and will spark a necessary discussion about children and childhood around the world.
Offering a unique global perspective - selections from the 'Imagining Each Other' essays include: Growing Up Hearing in a Deaf Family; Formality and Fun in Kinship Relations among the Gusii; Educated at Home in the United States; Children as Family Caregivers in Mexico; On Infants Sleeping Alone; The Luminous Books of Childhood; Trial by Fire: Emotional Socialization among Canadian Inuit; The Parenting Style of a Turkish Reformer; Memories of Childhood on an Israeli Kibbutz; Summer Camp for Diabetic Children: A Stigma-Free Zone; An African American Grandmother Combats Racial Hatred; Early Childhood Education in Japan; and, A Refugee's Childhood in the West Bank.