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6 Int'l J. Child. Rts. 433 (1998)
The Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights

handle is hein.journals/intjchrb6 and id is 445 raw text is: ,A The International Journal of Children's Rights 6: 433-444, 1998. 433 C © 1998 Kluwer Law International. Printed in the Netherlands. The sociology of childhood and children's rights * MICHAEL FREEMAN The growth of sociological (and anthropological) interest in children, of what has come to be called 'children's studies', has coincided broadly with the development of the modem children's rights movement.1 Although those working within the discipline of sociology are clearly interested in children's rights and their goals are often similar to the motley assemblage of lawyers, philosophers, educationalists etc, whose primary goal is to disseminate and propagate children's rights, and who are not uninterested in understanding the construct we call 'childhood', there has been little dialogue or collaboration between them. The gulf is apparent from an examination of the contents of Childhood, the leading journal in the sociology of childhood, and this journal. Beginning at roughly the same time,2 with some overlap of boards, the courses steered by the two have never threatened any collision.3 It would be nice to think that the same people read both journals, but this is unlikely. The two disciplines (though one, the sociology of childhood, is inevitably tighter) have much to offer each other, as needless to say, they have anyone concerned with understanding childhood and improving the lives of children. There is an overlap of interests, to some extent a congruence of visions, but aims and perspectives, even world views, diverge. * A revised version of a paper read to the 'Children 5-16: Growing Into The 21st Century' conference (sponsored by the ESRC) at Keele University in March 1997. 1 Leading texts are C. Jenks (ed), The Sociology of Childhood Essential Readings (London, Batsford, 1982); A. James and A. Prout (eds), Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood (Basingstoke, Falmer Press, 1990); J. Qvortrup et al., Childhood Matters (Alder- shot, Avebury, 1994); J. Brannen and M. O'Brien, Children in Families: Research and Policy (London, Falmer Press, 1996); C. Jenks, Childhood (London, Routledge, 1996); A. James, C. Jenks and A. Prout, Theorizing Childhood (Cambridge, Polity Press, 1998). 2 It was first published in 1994, a year after the International Journal of Children's Rights began publication. 3 Articles in Childhood on children's rights include E. Burman, 'International Child Rights Legislation', (1996) 3 Childhood 45-66 and M. G. Wyness, 'Policy, Protectionism and the Competent Child', (1996) 3 Childhood 431-447.

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