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Offers a sweeping review of conceptions of and approaches to childhood.
In this wide-ranging work, David Kennedy undertakes a philosophically grounded analysis of the history of childhood, the history of adulthood, and their interrelationship. Using themes and perspectives from the history of childhood, mythology, psychoanalysis, art, literature, philosophy, and education, the author locates the experience of childhood across all stages of the human life cycle, and thereby weighs its transformative potential for human culture. He offers a nuanced approach to child study that raises issues about how adults see children and how children see themselves, which could lead to a qualitatively different system of teacher preparation—a system that views the child as participant rather than object in the structure of social reproduction. This sweeping review of conceptions of and approaches to childhood yields a profound vision of what schooling should be like.
“Filled with rare eloquence and insight, this is a book that warrants considerable attention. Its breadth is impressive, and I found myself drawn in and engaged by discussions across an array of historical periods and intellectual domains bearing on the themes of the book. It is a work from which I have learned much, and to which I am sure I will return.” — Paul Farber, coeditor of Schooling in the Light of Popular Culture
“A work of impressive historical sweep, psychological depth, and great philosophical sensitivity, The Well of Being makes a major contribution to childhood studies. Its remarkably broad compass and the author’s creative use of his material make it unique.” — Gareth B. Matthews, author of The Philosophy of Childhood
David Kennedy is Associate Professor of Educational Foundations at Montclair State University.
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