Abstract
Children’s lived experiences are shaped by a number of influential ideas about childhood. Since 1979, the political context of the UK has been dominated by neoliberalism. This promotes an individualised view of social life, reinforcing in turn an understanding of children as becomings rather than beings. Alongside this though, we point to three key concepts that have emerged with respect to how children are seen: well-being, vulnerability, and resilience. A critical view of each demonstrates how these concepts are forged within social contexts and how they come to be mobilised in ways which often undermine and impoverish childhood, contributing to what has come to be referred to as snowflakes.
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Creasy, R., Corby, F. (2019). The Context of Childhood. In: Taming Childhood?. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11842-6_2
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