Perspectives on Childhood

This comprehensive text offers an accessible introduction to the field of childhood studies.

Dr. Connie M. Tang is a Professor of Psychology at Stockton University, where she teaches courses related to perspectives on childhood, children and the law, research on childhood and adolescence, and field placement in childhood studies. Her research topics include young children's cognitive development, child maltreatment, juvenile delinquency, and the connection between social relationships and adolescent behavior. She received a master's degree in social work (MSW) from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming, specializing in experimental and developmental psychology. Dr. Helana Girgis is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stockton University. She earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, her M.A. from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and her Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas. Dr. Girgis teaches a range of undergraduate courses covering developmental psychology, cognitive development, and research methods. She is the Director of the Children's Learning Lab, which examines cognitive development in young children. Dr. Girgis and her team of undergraduate research assistants examine diverse topics, such as children's developing concepts of foods, community influences on moral judgments, and social biases. Dr. Mary L. Padden-Denmead is an Associate Professor of Nursing at Stockton University. She is certified as a neonatal intensive care nurse with over 40 years of clinical nursing experience. She possesses 22 years of academic teaching experience with a focus on the nursing care of children and graduate research and theory courses. Her research interests include reflective learning, clinical decision-making in nursing students, interprofessional education, and racism, diversity, and inclusion in academia. She earned her Ph.D. from Widener University, her MSN with a clinical specialty in maternal-child nursing from the University of Delaware.

Part I: The Foundation; 1. Introduction to Childhood Studies; 2. The Psychology of Childhood; 3. The Humanities and Childhood Studies; Part II: Contemporary Issues; 4. Child Health; 5. Education; 6. Child Welfare; 7. Children, Violence, and the Law; 8. Politics, Economics, and Children; Part III: Shaping the Future; 9. One Childhood, Many Experiences; 10. Children's Rights; 11. Cross-Cultural Influences on Childhood; 12. The Future of Childhood Studies