The topic of "Anthropology of Childhood" may initially give the impression that it is a separate sub-field of anthropology. In fact, the topic brings together a variety of theoretical approaches and empirical work. These range from constructivist perspectives that understand childhood as an "invention" of modernity to evolutionary approaches that examine adaptations of human care for their offspring to different environmental conditions.

Empirical studies on the lifeworlds of children have been carried out worldwide and in almost all social contexts. What all of this research has in common is the examination of a phase of life that shapes the future and well-being of an individual. Childhood and interactions between generations are also central to initiating social change. It is therefore essential for social scientists and psychologists to understand the similarities and differences of childhoods in different societies.

This seminar offers an introduction to this multifaceted topic and enables participants to engage intensively with the various theoretical approaches and empirical findings. It aims to equip us with analytical tools towards understanding and making sense of our diverse lifeworlds through the lens of childhood. As we read and scrutinise a variety of studies from around the world, it also aims to provide us with inspirations to pursue and develop further research in this critical field of inquiry.

Allerton, Catherine. (2020) 2023. “Childhood”. In The Open Encyclopedia of Anthropology, edited by Felix Stein. Facsimile of the first edition in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Online: http://doi.org/10.29164/20child

Hrdy, Sarah Blaffer. 2009. Mothers and Others. The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding. Cambridge, London: The Belknap Press.

Lancy, David F. 2022. The Anthropology of Childhood: Cherubs, Chattle, Changlings. Child Development in Cultural Context. (3rd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lancy, David F. 2024. Learning Without Lessons: Pedagogy in Indigenous Communities. Child Development in Cultural Context. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.

Montgomery, Heather 2018. Children and Childhood, Anthropological Study of. In The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Pp. 1-12.

Weisner, T. S. 2001. Childhood: Anthropological Aspects. In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. N.J. Smelser and P.B. Baltes, eds. Pp. 1697-1701. Oxford: Pergamon.