After two decades of increasing academic interest in childhood there is a wealth of studies in a range of disciplines. This book provides a welcome opportunity to pause and reflect on the merits and weaknesses of different approaches that examine children and their place in society.

What is particularly refreshing is that, instead of focusing on thestrengths of one particular school of thought, Prout considers thecontribution that a range of disciplines can make to childhood studies.He convincingly and passionately argues for the development of a morecoherent and inter-disciplinary field of inquiry.

The first part of the book examines how the boundary between childhoodand adulthood has weakened, and the diverse forms that childhood cantake in different social, cultural and economic contexts.

As the book continues, it takes a step back in time to reconstruct thehistory of the emergence of childhood studies and how this has led to apolarisation between those who have focused on the social and culturalaspects, and those with an exclusive focus on biology. Even withinsocial studies there has been a tendency to focus on sociologicaloppositions, such as being and becoming, structure and agency.

Prout argues that this polarisation has hindered our understanding ofchildhood, and we need to find a more holistic theoreticalframework.

His argument that we need to overcome "the narrow disciplinary gazethrough which childhood has been seen" has parallels in social policydebates, where there is an increasing emphasis on a holistic andinter-agency approach to children's services.

Similarly, there is a growing consensus that early years education andchildcare should meet the needs of children both as "being", with freetime, culture and play seen as fundamentally important, but also as"becoming", with the need to prepare them to thrive in the next stage ofeducation and adulthood.

- Reviewed by Ivana La Valle, head of the families and children group,National Centre for Social Research

The Future of ChildhoodBy Alan ProutRoutledge FalmerISBN 0415256755159pp16.99