Rethinking Childhood in Modern Chinese History

Demonstrating that changes in the way Chinese children were viewed and cared for emerged in the context of an international shift towards child-centred education, the book places Chinese childhood in a global context. It discusses how the state and the family interacted through policy, education, media and regime change, and highlights the centrality of science and technology to twentieth-century Chinese approaches to childhood. In addition, by seeking out the voices of children themselves, the book presents valuable testimony of the world viewed through young eyes.

As a study of how class, gender and age affected both representations of children and childhood and children’s real-life experiences, this book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of Chinese studies, modern Chinese history and Childhood studies.