Towards a sociology of childhood

Towards a sociology of childhood: thinking from children's lives. By Berry Mayall. (Open University Press, 16.99, 01280 823388).

Reviewed by Jennie Lindon, early years consultant

Berry Mayall has been in the forefront of the development of the discipline of a sociology of childhood. In this book, she effectively brings together the strands of how it is possible to look at children and childhood within a social context. Psychology has usually looked at children as individuals, sometimes in the family situation, but rarely in terms of the experience of a childhood located in a time and place.

This book offers a challenging and enjoyable read. Content and layout are pitched at degree level, for example the range of courses that are now offered in Early Childhood Studies. The chapters cover different aspects of children's experience in contemporary society. There are thought-provoking sections about the 'scholarization of childhood': how children and parents are often viewed in terms of their role in being part of or supporting the educational process. Mayall highlights, in different aspects of children's lives, that they are 'moral agents', they have views and make decisions.