In the recent years, many disciplines have focused on understanding childhood. Researchers from psychology, sociology, human development, religious studies, and other disciplines have sought to analyze childhood. However, the fact that all these disciplines have held varying perspectives without the existence of a childhood studies as a core subject of study like feminism. This has limited the possibility of addressing research in childhood as a central subject of knowledge. Evidently, these disciplines have embarked on research, yielding interesting findings that have served to shed light on the need for a scholarly approach of childhood as a subject the way feminism has received attention. This paper will highlight the different disciplines that have made effort towards describing childhood and highlight their current contribution.
For a long time, childhood did not receive the appropriate attention despite the fact that it is a phase of life experienced by everyone. Different disciplines have not accorded childhood the right attention. Evidently, the recent past years have seen many disciplines focused on issues that touch on children. Disciplines such as anthropology sociology, political science, human development, and economists have exhibited interest in both children rights and have reacted towards issues that surround child labor (Thorne 2007, p. 149). A close analysis of the curriculum offered in many learning institutions reveals that several disciplines offer courses on childhood. Most of the institutions have learning materials designed by experts from diverse fields such as cultural studies, language, communications, anthropology, sociology, history, child development, and psychology. This serves to reveal that studying childhood is an interdisciplinary affair. Moreover, analyzing the granting of degree programs by various academic departments reveals that childhood studies fall under a range of disciplines.