Children's Agency ― A Critical, Psychosocial Perspective

This novel book approaches the topic of children's agency from a fresh perspective, emphasising what psychological and developmental science can bring to a debate which has been dominated by sociology and anthropology. It reviews research on agency from family, school and wider society domains, pinpointing both strengths and weaknesses and drawing out ways in which theory and practice in relation to children as agents in their own lives might be developed. Combining a psychosocial approach with perspectives from sociology, anthropology and education it offers a stronger theoretical base for research and policy and will be essential reading for students and professionals in these fields.

Professor Sheila Greene is Fellow Emeritus at Trinity College Dublin. She was the Head Psychologist on the Maternal and Infant Health Study at the Children's Hospital in Boston and a staff member of Harvard Medical School before returning to the Psychology Department in Trinity as a lecturer. She is co-founder of the Children's Research Centre and the Centre for Women’s Studies. She was co-author of the design brief for the national longitudinal study of children in Ireland, Growing Up in Ireland, and co-directed the study from its start in 2006 until 2011.

Dr Elizabeth Nixon is Assistant Professor in Developmental Psychology, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin and a Senior Research Fellow at the Children's Research Centre. She has received funding from the Department of Health and Children, Irish Research Council and Crisis Pregnancy Agency to conduct research into various aspects of parenting. From 2006-2014, she was Co-Investigator on Growing up in Ireland, Phase 1, the first national longitudinal study of children in Ireland, and is a Co-Investigator on Growing up in Ireland, Phase 2 (2015-2019). She teaches modules in Developmental Psychology, and on Child Development in Changing Family Contexts.