'What would it mean for our thinking about education, and in particular, our institutional arrangements for children's education, were we to think of children not as incomplete, or unprepared for the separate world of adults, but as semiotic engagers in life alongside adults? Andrew Stables explores the radical implications of this question in a lively and accessible manner, offering, along the way, a fascinating account of some central themes in the history and philosophy of childhood, and addressing the implications for our conceptualization of childhood and adulthood of some important strands in contemporary social and political theory, including environmental ethics, post-humanism and post-modernism. Whether or not one is convinced by Stables' claim that a reconceptualization of childhood is due, his analysis certainly offers a stimulating challenge to some existing conceptualizations.' Judith Suissa, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy of Education, Institute of Education, University of London, UK
Andrew Stables has written an impressive and exciting book... the way in which Stables brings a wide range of ideas to bear on his exploration of complex themes and issues is a worthwhile and at times really innovative contribution to the field.--Springer (Stud Philos Educ 2010)
'Overall, the book provides a very interesting contribution to literature in child studies and education. Despite Stables' strong analytical-philosophical approach, the book covers a wide range of disciplines including history, ethics, environmental studies, pedagogy and political science...Stables' theory of living as semiotic engagement provides a unique and promising conceptual framework for the study of childhood and educational experience.' Environmental Education Research
'Too often, in recent years, there has been a propensity for academics writing about childhood, children's voice and growing up to offer a totalising constructionist account on the basis of too little evidence and a too unsubtle analysis. Here, Andrew Stables offers an antidote to the easy bon mot. His account of childhood relies on a careful reading of a range of historical and philosophical sources. Moreover he carefully explores the educational implications of his analysis of childhood; an analysis that avoids the twin perils of a crass essentialism on the one hand and a rootless deconstructed account on the other. To do so he draws on semiotic work to look at children as sign makers in their own right. Not everyone will agree with everything in Stables' book, but for those interested in thinking about childhood and education, it is a must read.' Professor James C Conroy, Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow, UK
