This article attempts to rethink agency for childhood studies, drawing on Foucault's theorisations of power, Deleuze and Guattari's concept of assemblage, Bennett's vital materialism and Grosz's account of Bergson's conception of freedom. I argue that (1) agency is ambivalent, that is, it has no intrinsic ethical value; (2) agency is not a…

A superhighway is being built across today's education landscape, extending from preschool to graduate school, writes Armstrong. This superhighway bypasses all the byways, narrow routes, and winding paths that have traditionally filled the road from early childhood to early adulthood. As schools race to move students through the curriculum at…

Examines negotiation of children's construction of autonomy and the personal domain within the context of parent-child and teacher-child interaction. Provides a model for examining the emergence of autonomy out of adult-child negotiation. Describes several studies documenting how adults negotiate with children over personal issues about which a…

New Youth Challenge (NYC) programs teach new skills and attitudes to school-age children in non-school care settings. The programs empower children by allowing them to direct their own actions and take responsibility for the activities in which they are involved. This manual outlines the NYC program, how to make such a program work, and the role…

Describes components of self-reliance and discusses three methods that can be used effectively to make children more self-reliant: behavioral patterning, expectation, and modeling. (HOD)

Identifies the dual development of independence and interdependence as a template for thinking about social and emotional education for children. Suggests integrating social, emotional, and academic learning to foster the child's individuality. Discusses Montessori's belief that personal freedom and responsibility are built on a foundation of…

A study conducted a nationwide evaluation of 15 residential camp programs designed for children, youth, and young adults with mild to severe disabilities. The study involved 2,184 campers (ages 7-19) with disabilities and was undertaken to further validate evaluation instrumentation, evaluate residential camp programs for children with…

This book offers a holistic examination of well-being across the life course by experts in psychology, sociology, child development, and medicine, and describes foundational strengths for well-being from infancy through adulthood. The chapters are: (1) "A Brief History of the Study of Well-Being in Children and Adults" (Kristin A. Moore…