Beyond the Century of the Child

This compelling historical examination challenges our fundamental assumptions about childhood by tracing how this concept has evolved across cultures and centuries. Willem Koops assembles a thought-provoking symposium that explores everything from shifting societal arrangements for children to the very development of child psychology as a field of study. The book moves beyond linear progress narratives to reveal how childhood has been constructed, contested, and redefined throughout history. Readers will discover that what we consider "natural" stages of development are often cultural inventions with surprisingly recent origins.

What makes this collection particularly valuable is its interdisciplinary approach, drawing from psychology, sociology, and cultural history to create a multidimensional portrait of childhood. The contributors don't just document changing attitudes—they reveal how these shifts reflect broader societal values and power structures. This is essential reading for anyone interested in developmental psychology, educational theory, or social history who wants to understand why we parent and educate the way we do today. You'll finish these pages with a fundamentally altered perspective on what childhood means and how profoundly our modern understanding has been shaped by historical forces.