The book explores the intersection of developmental psychology and the political economy of childhood, examining how children's experiences are shaped by national and international agendas. It offers a critical analysis of the contexts and frameworks that influence childhood development in the global landscape. This new edition serves as a vital resource for understanding the affective organization of childhood within the broader socio-political context, highlighting the implications for policy and practice in the developing world.
"... well-written and seems to be at a level which would be graspable by most undergraduate and maybe A level students - without neglecting too much the complexities of the use of qualitative techniques ... These characteristics coupled with the fact that each of the authors is an expert in using the particular qualitative techniques they discuss, means that the book can be heartily welcomed."Psychology Teaching Review This book is a collaborative production, based on the experiences of the co-authors in presenting a course over many years in Qualitative Methods to MSc students. All the team are members of staff of the Department of Psychology and Speech Pathology at the Manchester Metropolitan University, and have a wealth of experience in teaching and using qualitative methods. This is not an edited book; the authors have drafted particular chapters, but the team has collectively discussed, reworked and rewritten the text to produce a coherent review and guide to the area. This research guide is designed to be an introductory text to qualitative methods, intended for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students. As well as furnishing an understanding of the assumptions underlying such research methods, the book is intended to present a practical guide as to how to carry out qualitative investigations, and in addition to provide the basis for a critical evaluation of these methods.
What is childhood and why, and how, did psychology come to be the arbiter of 'correct'or 'normal' development? How do actual lived childhoods connect with theories about child development? In this completely revised and updated edition, Deconstructing Developmental Psychology interrogates the assumptions and practices surrounding the psychology of child development, providing a critical evaluation of the role and contribution of developmental psychology within social practice. In the decade since the first edition was published, there have been many major changes. The role accorded childcare experts and the power of the 'psy complex' have, if anything, intensified. This book addresses how shifts in advanced capitalism have produced new understandings of children, and a new (and more punitive) range of institutional responses to children. It engages with the paradoxes of childhood in an era when young adults are increasingly economically dependent on their families, and in a political context of heightened insecurity. The new edition includes an updated review of developments in psychological theory (in attachment, evolutionary psychology, theory of mind, cultural-historical approaches), as well as updating and reflecting upon the changed focus on fathers and fathering. It offers new perspectives on the connections between Piaget and Vygotsky and now connects much more closely with discussions from the sociology of childhood and critical educational research. Coverage has been expanded to include more material on child rights debates, and a new chapter addresses practice dilemmas around child protection, which engages even more with the "raced" and gendered effects of current policies involving children. This engaging and accessible text provides key resources to inform better professional practice in social work, education and health contexts. It offers critical insights into the politics and procedures that have shaped developmental psychological knowledge. It will be essential reading for anyone working with children, or concerned with policies around children and families. It was also be of interest to students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels across a range of professional and practitioner groups, as well as parents and policy makers.
This crisis-ridden world is having disastrous effects on the climate, on our bodies and on our internal worlds, on how we feel and try to respond, on how we panic and on how we act collectively. Psychoanalysis can be part of this collective political response. Ian Parker shows how personal struggle can be linked to political struggle so we confr
Focusing on a new approach to understanding childhood, Erica Burman synthesizes her decade-long research that critiques traditional developmental psychology. She introduces the concept of "child as method," drawing from postcolonial, feminist intersectionality, and migration studies. This innovative perspective emphasizes the complexity of child development and encourages a pluralistic view, reshaping how we engage with and understand children's experiences and identities in contemporary society.
