Overview

The study of childhood in academia has been dominated by a mono-cultural or WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) perspective. Within the field of anthropology, however, a contrasting and more varied view is emerging. While the phenomenon of children as workers is ephemeral in WEIRD society and in the literature on child development, there is ample cross-cultural and historical evidence of children making vital contributions to the family economy. Children’s “labor” is of great interest to researchers, but widely treated as extra-cultural—an aberration that must be controlled. Work as a central component in children’s lives, development, and identity goes unappreciated. Anthropological Perspectives on Children as Helpers, Workers, Artisans, and Laborers aims to rectify that omission by surveying and synthesizing a robust corpus of material, with particular emphasis on two prominent themes: the processes involved in learning to work and the interaction between ontogeny and children’s roles as workers.

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9781137533531

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Reviews

Lancy's comprehensive overview highlights the importance of anthropological research for understanding cultural variation in children's socialization and work activities. ... this volume is a welcome and invaluable contribution to anthropological scholarship on childhood. (Wendy Klein, American Anthropologist, Vol. 120 (3), 2018)

Author Information

David F. Lancy is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Utah State University, USA.

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