An Introduction to Childhood and Youth Studies and Psychology by Victoria Cooper

This exciting new book provides a novel interdisciplinary introduction to Childhood and Youth Studies and Psychology. Its accessible approach illuminates holistic understandings of children and young people’s lives by drawing from multiple disciplines and theoretical frameworks and wide-ranging research examples, including case studies from around the world, featuring children and young people’s perspectives throughout.

Weaving insights from education and cultural studies, social anthropology, and sociology with social, cultural, and developmental psychology, it covers children and young people’s experiences and development from infancy to young adulthood (0–23 years) and their rights. Chapters explore key contemporary topics such as the following:

Digital childhood and youthChildren’s embodied experiencesThe social and cultural origins of selvesDiverse familiesRace and ethnicityGlobal childhoodsModels for understanding health and disabilityChildren’s rights and agencyGender in childhood and youth

An essential reading for students on childhood and youth, psychology, and education courses, An Introduction to Childhood and Youth Studies and Psychology is also a valuable introductory resource for practitioners working with children and young people and for parents and policy makers with an interest in how we understand children and young people’s lives today.