Why Social Studies of Childhood? An Introduction to the Handbook

Abstract

The Palgrave Handbook of Childhood Studies signals recognition of a significant area of study which began to assert itself a quarter of a century ago. Its publication is a sign that childhood studies have both matured and experienced remarkable diversification; it is an indication that these studies, like childhood, have being and legitimacy in their own right. But even if these perspectives and approaches have gained ground, a handbook will be helpful in making them better known both in academia and among the broader public.