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Childhoods, Real and Imagined: Volume 1, An Introduction to Critical Realism and Childhood Studies

Childhoods, Real and Imagined: Volume 1, An Introduction to Critical Realism and Childhood Studies by Priscilla Alderson, (Routledge, May 2013, £24.99). This new book sets out twelve basic ideas in critical realism to show how they can increase our research understanding of children’s lives.

Childhoods Real and Imagined explores and charts the relation of dialectical critical realist concepts to many aspects of childhood. By demonstrating their relevance and value to each other, Alderson presents an introductory guide to applied critical realism for researchers, lecturers and students.

Each chapter summarises key themes from several academic disciplines and policy areas, combining adults’ and children’s reported views and experiences and filtering these through a critical realist analysis. The four main chapters deal with the more personal aspects of childhood in relation to the body, interpersonal relations, social structures, and the person, soul or self. The second volume will widen the scope to include the impact on children and young people of present policies relating to ecology, economics, ideas of social evolution or progress, and ethics. Each chapter demonstrates how children are an integral part of the whole of society and are often especially affected by policies and events.

Through developing the dialectical critical realist analysis of childhood and youth Childhoods Real and Imagined will be of great interest to critical realists and childhood researchers and policy advisers.

 

 

For more information about the book visit the Routledge website: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415680981/

Source: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415680981/

Tags: real and imagined, child research, critical realism, childhoods, book launch
Published May 3, 2013 3:23 PM - Last modified May 3, 2013 3:23 PM