Challenging the Politics of Early Intervention ― Who's Saving Children and Why

So often, the ills of society are blamed on negligent parenting, leading to the development of social service policies built around the concept of early intervention. Interrogating this concept, this book explores the history of our understanding of children, family, and parenting, and its implications for society. With a particular focus on the intersection of brain science and social policy, the authors challenge our long-held consensus on early intervention. Accessibly written and highly topical, Challenging the Politics of Early Intervention is a comprehensive and critical assay of our contemporary belief that so-called bad parents raise substandard future citizens unfit for the new capitalism.

Val Gillies is professor of social policy and criminology at the University of Westminster. Rosalind Edwards is professor of sociology, social sciences director of research, and a codirector of the Economic and Social Research Council’s National Centre for Research Methods, all at the University of Southampton. Nicola Horsley is a research associate in the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, where she studies social inclusion and participation.