Abstract
In Rights and Wrongs of Children’s Work Michael Bourdillon, Deborah Levison, William Myers, and Ben White provide us with a definitive and balanced examination of why it is that the majority of the world’s children’s work for a living. This is an excellent book, which has clearly been designed to engage both the novice and expert. While it will be of relevance to academics and policy makers it will also be equally accessible and useful to a broad range of child-focused practitioners and international aid workers.
The clarity of reflective thought in Rights and Wrongs of Children’s Work is particularly impressive and reassuring. This is a book that enables the reader to expand on his or her pre-existing thoughts about what is an acceptable childhood, and to revisit their understanding of why children work. By drawing upon a broad range of case study examples, the writers have been able to explore not only the pros and cons of work but why it is difficult to simply oppose or support child employment.
This approach is particularly compelling because of the high level of humanity and empathy shown by the authors. This is not a book that sets out to destroy or belittle a particular take on child work. Rather it positions the experience of work within larger debates about social and economic circumstances which make it necessary to approach the subject from a much broader perspective than just that of “child labour.” The arguments outlined in this book are further strengthened by continual reference to case studies that instruct the reader why it is so vital that we recognize the contexts in which children are working before we pass judgment.
Its central tenet rests on the premise that intervention based on good intention and other people’s moral standards often ignores the voice of the child. We are reminded that respect involves listening to children and taking their views seriously, and such respect should also be extended to the communities in which children live. We need to show respect even when their hopes deviate from some assumed notion of “normalcy” (often Western, urban and middle class).
Turning to page 25 we discover how few children work outside the home, and in this way an immediate distinction can be drawn between the different types of work that children are engaged in and the very particular experiences of working inside and outside the domestic arena. The broad-brush approach developed here will be particularly appealing to novices in the field. Sub-chapters state refreshing and straightforward intent, one titled “Are Children Working Instead of Adults, or Undermining Adult Wages?” explores child work from the perspective of the adults who work alongside the child. Others hint at more predictable themes, “Does Poverty Cause Child Work?” and yet continue to tackle their theme from a refreshing position.
If I have any complaint about this book it is that I was sometimes left clambering for further detail, for example it would have been fascinating to learn more about the “Earn and Learn” tea estates in Zimbabwe, a subject matter that could easily have stood alone as one chapter, particularly because when done well such an integrative system seems to set a positive precedent for children to both work and attend school; but when done badly can lead to exploitation.
The book is particularly impressive because of the balanced and measured way in which it draws upon case study examples to show that it is the quality of an experience that defines whether something is good or bad. Child work is considered in the light of educational opportunities: we are asked to consider both the life-changing importance of schooling, but also how dismal and dreadful some schooling can be. Contemporary studies draw upon children’s participatory rights and by extension the choice to work in both the South and North. The Scottish (North European) based study by Howieson helps us consider why it is that children who attend school and also work part-time often report feeling happier overall than those who only go to school.
The authors conclude the book with a reminder to the reader of how important it is for children to be heard effectively and to exercise their participation rights while also recognizing differences among children based on class, gender, ability, and the evolving capacities of the child. They point to the huge contribution being made by psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists in furthering our understanding of the pros and cons of child work.
As I responded to the chapter titles, I was left with the distinct impression that the authors had written this book partly in response to questions personally directed at them over the years. If I am correct, then this was a well-chosen approach, which will have contributed to this book becoming essential reading to anyone who is active in this field. As soon as I turned the last page, I immediately hot-footed to my university library and requested that they order as many copies as their budget would allow and that it be put at the top of the required reading list for the Masters program on Childhood and Youth Studies that I am currently running.