Table of Contents

The context of childhood: social understanding of childhood
The historical context: the emergence of childhood
The philosophical context: the early years tradition and evolution of early years provision
The context of the family: first experiences
The context of the setting: childhood institutions
The context of partnership: children in transition
The community context: children as citizens
The national context: children and social policy
The global context: international perspectives
The child’s own context: the child’s voice and agency
The future context: the twenty-first century child

About the Author

Rory McDowall Clark originally trained as a nursery and primary teacher in Brighton and has a wide range of experience in broader social contexts including community development with charities, voluntary organisations and outreach youth work. Rory worked as an educational consultant for Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucestershire County Council before taking up a post in the Centre for Early Childhood at University of Worcester where she has been a senior lecturer for the past 10 years. She has an MA in Sociology: Contemporary Studies and her research interests include gender, cultural views of the child and continuing professional development.