Constructions of Childhood in India

This book explores the dominant constructions of childhood as perceived by children and adults in contemporary Indian society. It unveils the everyday lived experiences of children within family life to explain the meaning of childhood and the position of children as social groups. Based on detailed qualitative study, this volume discusses the themes and issues that impact dominant constructions of childhood. It establishes childhood as a structurally constructed category and sheds light on how key social differences influence the diverse experiences of childhood. The book critically examines how children, as social actors, contribute to the structural space of childhood through the recognition of their own experiences, voices, and ways of interpretations. Further, it also compares and analyses childhoods of today with those of the past generations. Engagingly written and nuanced, the book will be of great interest to teachers and students of education, childhood studies, elementary education, sociology of education and social psychology. It will also be useful for teachers of teacher training institutions, policymakers, educationalists, education professionals, parents and researchers working with children and childhood studies.

Ravneet Kaur is Assistant Professor at the Department of Elementary Education, Mata Sundri College for Women, University of Delhi, India. She has a doctorate from the University of Delhi and holds Master's Degree in both Child Development and Education from the University of Delhi. She has been extensively engaged in teaching and research in the areas of Human development, Childhood Studies, Psychology and Education for the last 14 years. She is currently working on a major project awarded by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). She has also undertaken consultancies for United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), The University of Hong Kong, Care India, Save the Children, Room to Read and other International and National, Voluntary and Non-Governmental organizations.

1. Introduction 2. Dominant Constructions of Children and Childhood 3. Constructions of Childhood within Family Processes 4. Constructing Childhood through Generational Relations: Meanings of Motherhood, Fatherhood and Grandparenthood 5. Diversity in Indian Childhoods: Through the Lens of Social Class 6. Childhood: Change and Continuity 7. Conclusions. Appendix A: A Note on Methodology. Appendix B: Pictures adapted from Rosenzweig P-F Study (Children's form) (1959). References