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Palgrave Macmillan

The Government of Childhood

Discourse, Power and Subjectivity

  • Book
  • © 2014

Overview

Authors:
  1. Karen M. Smith

    1. Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland

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Part of the book series: Studies in Childhood and Youth (SCY)

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-x
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  2. Introduction

    • Karen M. Smith
    Pages 1-6

  3. Conceptualising Governmentality

    • Karen M. Smith
    Pages 7-37

  4. Subjects of Government

    • Karen M. Smith
    Pages 38-74

  5. Disciplining Childhood

    • Karen M. Smith
    Pages 75-129

  6. The Gentle Way in Child Government

    • Karen M. Smith
    Pages 130-174

  7. Governing the Responsible Child

    • Karen M. Smith
    Pages 175-197

  8. Conclusion

    • Karen M. Smith
    Pages 198-203

  9. Back Matter

    Pages 204-256
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Keywords

About this book

Grounded in the Foucauldian literature on governmentality and drawing on a broad range of disciplines, this book examines the government of childhood in the West from the early modern period to the present. The book deals with three key time-periods and examines shifts in the conceptualization and regulation of childhood and child-rearing.

Reviews

“The Government of Childhood: Discourse, Power and Subjectivity details how power has historically been exercised over youth and how children’s ability to employ agency has evolved from the early modern period to the present. … The Government of Childhood is a significant contribution to childhood and youth studies. Additionally, Smith’s engagement with a number of theorists, including Michel, Foucault, Nikolas Rose, and Chris Jenks, results in rigorous discussions and critiques of these theorists, making the book a thought-provoking read.” (Julia M. Gossard, The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, Vol. 9 (1), Winter, 2016)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland

    Karen M. Smith

About the author

Karen M. Smith is a Lecturer at Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland and at University College Dublin, Ireland. Her research and teaching interests lie in the area of children and social policy.

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