Product Description

In "The Invention of Childhood", Hugh Cunningham presents a complete chronological history of childhood in Britain over the last 1000 years. Drawing extensively on primary sources, such as diaries, letters and interviews, he explores a hidden, domestic history of family secrets and personal stories that is often overlooked by historians. Factors such as gender and social class have certainly shaped the lives of children down the ages, but so too have major historical events, such as military conflicts, the Reformation, the rise of the British Empire and the Industrial Revolution. Notions about when childhood starts and ends, and how it differs from adulthood, have changed considerably over the centuries, and these 'inventions' and 'reinventions' of childhood have had a profound effect on the lives of young people. Childhood wasn't always regarded as a distinct stage in life, and the prolonged childhood we enjoy in Britain today was, until relatively recently, a luxury few could afford. This fascinating study highlights the many ways the lives of children in the past differed from those of youngsters today, but also looks at the often surprising similarities between modern childhood and the experience of previous generations. "The Invention of Childhood" accompanies a major BBC Radio 4 series presented by the respected children's writer and former Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo. "The Voices of Children", a new play by Michael Morpurgo written especially for inclusion in this volume, allows the children of the past to speak to us across the years.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17832 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

Useful as an introduction
This text certainly provides a useful, introductory, outline of some of the threads in the emergence of the notion of childhood in British culture over the centuries, as well as highlighting the various constructions the concept has undergone to its present-day incarnation. The author's style is highly readable, punctuated with material from a variety of historical sources.

The accompanying short play by Morpurgo, which serves as a summary of some of the themes of the main work, is of interest for its subservience to, and propagation of, the myth of 'progress' that is fed to the young.

The most notable aspect of 'The Invention of Childhood' is perhaps that, as description (rather than critique), its tendency is to ignore the various actors/groups that have played a part in suborning the concept of 'childhood' for their own purposes, and the intentional or unwitting effect that this has had for the concept in contemporary culture.

Hence, while a useful introduction for the general public (accustomed to viewing 'childhood' as some sort of natural, inevitable, status), readers are encouraged to take a more critical look at its political deployment, sharply detailed in such works as Phillipe Aries' classic Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life: A Social History of Family Life and Judith Levine's Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex; and should certainly read Tony Duvert's Good Sex Illustrated (Foreign Agents) (the latter title not being descriptive of the book's contents, but rather a parody/critique of the disinformation systematically targeted at young people).

A great book to learn about the History of childhood
I was not sure whether I would be able to read this book from cover to cover. However, once picked up I could not put down. This book gives some fantastic insights into the historical concept of childhood, childhood games, play and how the child has been perceived by adults over the centuries. Highly recommended for those with an interest in childhood studies and illustrating how we have shaped many practices on historial ideas and ideologies or just for pure reading pleasure!