Bloomsbury Academic Historical Perspectives on Infant Care and Development

Product Description This book is the essential guide to understanding the historical influences that have shaped our ideas about infancy and infant care today. It introduces the key theories, themes, and concepts that have shaped the history of infant care and invites readers to explore how events, approaches, traditions, studies and stories have shaped modern day practice. From foundlings to wetnurses, community care and edu-carers, it introduces topics about family life, professional roles, and educational settings. The book includes short vignettes, imagery, and case studies as well as extended reflective questions. Each chapter introduces a different topic including pregnancy, parental relationships, developmental studies, the role of the professional and community services available to infants. Review This is a very important book for students of early childhood education: it offers a holistic and comprehensive overview of infant care in the past and demands the reader to reflect on their own practice as they read. It is both academically rigorous and heartwarming – a winning combination! --Abigail Gosling, Course Coordinator for BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education and Senior Lecturer Education Studies (Early Years), University of Bedfordshire, UK This book presents a historical context for contemporary studies and views about infant care and family life. Authentic narratives emphasize women’s roles and experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood over time. The author’s deep passion for the book’s focus is evident throughout, as is the depth of her knowledge of European/Western sources. --Dana Gross, Professor of Psychology, St Olaf College, USA Dr. Norman’s book centres the relationship among infant(s), parents, and professional(s) within a richly woven tapestry of historical and contemporary ideas. Her thoughtful use of questions, narratives, and cases makes the text accessible, particularly to those who are new to considerations of infanthood within the landscape of early childhood education. --Wendy A. Crocker, PhD. Associate Teaching Professor, Northeastern University, USA About the Author Amanda Norman is Senior Lecturer and Programme Lead of the BA (Hons) Childhood Studies at the University of Winchester, UK. She is the author of From Conception to Two: Development, Policy and Practice (2019) and has published works about infant care pedagogies in academic peer reviewed and professional practice articles.