Routledge Hidden Hands: Children's Work & Labour - International Perspectives

Hidden Hands offers a comprehensive cross-cultural examination of children's paid work and labour, addressing a critical yet often overlooked aspect of contemporary child welfare. This Routledge hardcover explores children's productive activities and their interconnection with broader social lives, education, and well-being across multiple countries. The book examines key issues including the tension between schooling and work obligations in the UK, the impact of child poverty on employment patterns, ethnic minority children's work experiences, and the complex relationship between labour and child development. Contributors provide both domestic and international perspectives, drawing on research and case studies to illuminate how children's work shapes their educational outcomes and social trajectories. This scholarly resource is essential for academics, social workers, policymakers, and anyone seeking to understand the multifaceted dimensions of child labour in contemporary society and its implications for child protection and welfare systems globally.