Young Children and Their Communities: Understanding Collective Social Responsibility

By approaching the concept of community through the lens of early childhood, this valuable book acknowledges the role that diverse and multiple communities play in supporting a child’s early development, and explores how their value can be harnessed in our ever-evolving and fast-changing world.

Young Children and Their Communities delves deeper into the many layers of communities to which children belong. With a focus on key theoretical perspectives, such as social empathy and the pedagogy of friendships, the book seeks to expand readers’ understanding of the concept of community by considering a range of both established and emerging communities, including peer groups, digital communities, the extended family and intergenerational learning. Chapters explore how various communities contribute to and enhance young children’s lives, and examine how children can in turn enrich the communities they are part of. Illustrative vignettes and points for reflection are included throughout, along with helpful research summaries and links to current policy.

Reiterating the importance of communities and illustrating the rich opportunities they offer to children, Young Children and Their Communities will inform students’ and early years practitioners’ practice as they confront new challenges and opportunities in fields of early childhood education, social work and sociology.