Working to Be Someone

Child Focused Research and Practice with Working Children

Working to be Someone presents an overview of worldwide research on working children that considers children's own views of employment in favour of adult-constructed arguments about child work.

This book brings together contributions by internationally renowned researchers who are committed to a 'subject-orientated' approach as well as views and observations of activists from organizations that either work with child labour or support working children's movements. Chapters examine the traditionally widespread care and domestic work carried out by children, discuss localized explorations of working children - for example in Morocco, India and Europe - as well as consider work as a means for children to contribute economically to the family. Contributors also discuss children's movements and organizations in Africa, Asia and South America that claim work as a necessity for survival as well as a key to children's own agency and citizenship.

This book is a key text for both academics and social work practitioners that encourages re-evaluation of the notion of childhood and understands the complex phenomenon of working children.