Childhood is a brand new series, co-published with the Open University which represents a coherent and integrated treatment to a wide range of topics and approaches, which will have a relevance to courses in childhood studies; sociology; psychology; anthropology and cultural studies. The first volume, Understanding Childhood, an interdisciplinary approach asks 'What is a child?' and introduces a range of perspectives within childhood and youth studies. Topics in this book include the history of beliefs about childhood, the growth of scientific approaches to studying children, the significance of gender, debates around children's rights and how far children are seen as innocent or knowing. As well as introducing broad academic frameworks for studying childhood, the book addresses issues of complexity, diversity and change in children's experiences, from the earliest years through to adulthood. Illustrated throughout with both cross-cultural and historical examples, this text is ideal for a wide range of courses. Features includes: An interactive text Carefully-selected case studies and readings from the USA, Bangladesh and South Africa Attractive layout and colour design throughout A high level of illustration Clear and 'student-friendly' style Used by the OU for its own teaching