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RETHINKING THE SOCIOLOGY OF CHILDHOOD 189

central debates and issues in sociological ● Schooling (e.g., literacy, gender differences, bully-
theory. Where the work of writers such as ing, etc.);
Foucault or Beck is drawn upon or referred ● Health Issues: HIV/AIDS, obesity, smoking, etc.;
to, it tends to fall into the category of ‘appli- ● Impact of war on children in different countries.
cation’ or ‘illustration’, rather than engaging It is difficult to navigate one’s way through
actively with the central issues of theory- such a rich body of research, but the majority
development at stake. Commenting on ‘the can be grouped roughly into the following
current state of theory on children and of the five areas: (1) children’s actual experiences,
sociology of children in general,’ Ann-Marie particularly their active participation
Ambert (1995) stresses, despite the presence in family life, the public sphere and school-
of some theoretically-developed work in the ing, children’s play and use of space;
field, the ‘danger that we develop a sociology (2) children’s lives beyond family and
of children that avoids some important theo- school, especially working and on the street,
retical issues on a larger scale’(1995: 253). If especially, but not only, in developing coun-
one were unkind, one would speak of empir- tries; (3) inequality, in terms of gender, class,
ical profligacy, but this argument should not race, ethnicity, the rural/urban divide, and
be pushed too far, since the whole sociology globally; (4) children’s rights, citizenship,
of childhood project lends itself particularly and legal processes and institutions more
well to ethnographic research methods which broadly, especially in relation to criminal
do not always sit well with abstract theoreti- law; (5) education, welfare, and health – the
cal constructions. There is nothing intrinsi- different dimensions and effects of particular
cally wrong with theoretical application or institutional contexts such as health, education,
illustration, and useful things can be said welfare. We make no attempt to provide any
about particular research topics without nec- sort of overview or summary of these areas,
essarily commenting on the broader issues in but simply highlight a selection of the major
sociological theory. themes and discuss some useful examples.
What, then, of the central empirical con- There are also a range of other fields of study
cerns in sociology studies of childhood that we have left out of consideration here, but
today? Because we know so little about the which also attract significant research atten-
reality of children’s lives, there is an enor- tion and would also fit within the analysis
mous amount of knowledge to be gathered. here, such as changed forms of parenting,
The possibilities for case studies are exten- motherhood, fatherhood, divorce, children’s
sive; they include, all potentially across experience of war (as child soldiers and as
different countries and historical periods: civilians), children as refugees, the impact of
television and the media, and cultural con-
● Working children, effects of organized interven- structions and representations of childhood.
tions to regulate child labour;
● Childhood experiences (school, family, play,
street, etc.); Children’s experience, agency,
● Street children (policy, interventions, etc.);
● Migration, ethnicity, integration among children and voice
of varying ethnicities; In the dominant generational order, chil-
● Children’s literature, in different historical periods, dren’s contribution and participation as
countries, etc.;
● Children’s participation, in organizations, politics, social actors in everyday interactions tends to
etc.; be either ignored or underestimated (Jenks,
● The changing ideas, institutions and practices 1982), despite the obvious centrality of chil-
surrounding children’s rights and citizenship; dren to the everyday operation of institutions
● Changing relations in family life: between sib- of socialization (Davies, 1983). A central theme
lings, children and parents or grandparents, etc.; in many sociological studies of childhood,