A Historical Sociology of Childhood

Developmental Thinking, Categorization and Graphic Visualization

Bibliographic Data

ID19899861
AuthorsAndré Turmel (Université Laval, corresponding author)
Year2008
Publication date2008-07-31
Open AccessYes
TypeBOOK
VenueHistorical Sociology of Childhood (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherCambridge University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1017/cbo9780511489099
OpenAlexW4245273185
Open LibraryOL34444021M
ISBN9780511489099
LanguageEN
Citations received67

What constitutes a 'normal' child? Throughout the nineteenth century public health and paediatrics played a leading role in the image and conception of children. By the twentieth century psychology had moved to the forefront, transforming our thinking and understanding. André Turmel investigates these transformations both from the perspective of the scientific observation of children (public hygiene, paediatrics, psychology and education) and from a public policy standpoint (child welfare, health policy, education and compulsory schooling). Using detailed historical accounts from Britain, the USA and France, Turmel studies how historical sequential development and statistical reasoning have led to a concept of what constitutes a 'normal' child and resulted in a form of standardization by which we monitor children. He shows how western society has become a child-centred culture and asks whether we continue to base parenting and teaching on a view of children that is no longer appropriate

History of psychology · Pedagogy · Perspective (graphical) · Political science · Psychoanalysis · Public health · Social science · Sociology · Standardization · Welfare · Children's Rights and Participation · Early Childhood Education and Development · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology