Anthropological Perspectives on Children as Helpers, Workers, Artisans, and Laborers

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

   PDF

2. Work in Children’s Lives

   • David F. Lancy

   Pages 1-30

3. From Playing to Working

   • David F. Lancy

   Pages 31-58

4. Helpers

   • David F. Lancy

   Pages 59-84

5. Becoming Workers

   • David F. Lancy

   Pages 85-129

6. Young Artisans

   • David F. Lancy

   Pages 131-158

7. Children as a Reserve Labor Force

   • David F. Lancy

   Pages 159-187

8. Children as Laborers

   • David F. Lancy

   Pages 189-212

9. The Effects of Culture Change on Children’s Work

   • David F. Lancy

   Pages 213-235

10. Back Matter

    Pages 237-245

    PDF

The study of childhood in academia has been dominated by a mono-cultural or WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) perspective. Within the field of anthropology, however, a contrasting and more varied view is emerging. While the phenomenon of children as workers is ephemeral in WEIRD society and in the literature on child development, there is ample cross-cultural and historical evidence of children making vital contributions to the family economy. Children’s “labor” is of great interest to researchers, but widely treated as extra-cultural—an aberration that must be controlled. Work as a central component in children’s lives, development, and identity goes unappreciated. Anthropological Perspectives on Children as Helpers, Workers, Artisans, and Laborers aims to rectify that omission by surveying and synthesizing a robust corpus of material, with particular emphasis on two prominent themes: the processes involved in learning to work and the interaction between ontogeny and children’s roles as workers.

• Adolescence
• Labor Laws
• Agriculture
• Gender Differences
• School
• Education

“Anthropological Perspectives on Children as Helpers, Workers, Artisans, and Laborers is a superbly written, well-researched, and ethnographically grounded text that is easy to follow and clear with its examples. It is ideal for entry-level undergraduates studying the anthropology of work, play, kinship, and socialization as well as for courses in labor and childhood studies.” (Jennifer E. Shaw,Anthropology of Work Review, Vol. 41 (2), 2020)



“Lancy draws on a wide corpus of literature and presents a variety of valuable insights into children’s work, and their potential to learn from this work, across societies and geographical contexts. … This volume’s synthesis of anthropological insights into children’s work and its changing forms across cultures and livelihoods, emphasising children’s ingenuity, skills and ability to pursue their own learning, is commendable.” (Gemma Pearson, Children's Geographies, Vol. 17 (5), 2019)



“Lancy’s comprehensive overview highlights the importance of anthropological research for understanding cultural variation in children’s socialization and work activities. … this volume is a welcome and invaluable contribution to anthropological scholarship on childhood.” (Wendy Klein, American Anthropologist, Vol. 120 (3), 2018)
“David F. Lancy's volume is a monumental contribution to the study of childhood around the world. Through an encyclopedic review of the ethnographic literature, Lancy presents a new model he calls the ‘gerontocracy’ to encapsulate how traditional societies understand work as a fundamental part of learning to be human. In an era when modern methods of school instruction are increasingly under critique, it is important to remember that children often learn through helping and play. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the nature of child development outside of the West, and it will help us to understand how children can be viewed as highly capable and crucial members of domestic economies around the globe.” (Traci Arden, Professor of Anthropology, University of Miami, USA)

“This new book by David F. Lancy shows—with much evidence from anthropological and social science research—that work in the lives of children can help them learn vital skills. With considerable arguments, he questions the dominant ‘modern’ concept of childhood today, which only locates it at school, and shows in a differentiated and culturally sensitive way that work in children's lives can also have positive meanings for their development.” (Manfred Liebel, Professor and Founder of the Program in Childhood Studies and Children’s Rights at Freie Universität Berlin and The University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, Germany)

• Anthropology, Utah State University, Logan, USA

  David F. Lancy

David F. Lancy is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Utah State University, USA.

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