Huck's Raft : A History of American Childhood

Rating:
Summary: An unsentimental view of the 'good old days'
Review: In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, EVERYBODY is tempted to recall childhood (especially those from at least 20 years ago) as a time of protection and security. We also are sporadically hand wringing over the 'disappearance' of childhood.

Recognizing the power which comes from/with the reshaping of these beliefs, Steven Minz takes the reader on a most powerful voyage which we will do very well not to forget.

John and Rebecca Moores Professor of History and Director of the American Cultures Program at the University of Houston, Minz is a recognized authority on the histories of families and children. We cannot comment qualitatively about the present without first understanding the past.

Considering the hackles which his topic will undoubtedly raise throughout the American political spectrum, Minz deftly presents his research that 1)childhood as we know it is a very recent invention and 2)children are dealing with more, but (unlike earlier times) we recognize they must have more resources (increased education, immunizations, health care, playtime/development...etc). Minz also is scrupulous about reminding his readers that race/ethnicity, gender, and religion do impact a child's life experiences...both then and now.

In an era prior to childhood vaccinations, a White middle-class boy could draw upon more privllege than a low-income African American girl (who would have to contend with segregated schools and other facilities in addition to having to help her family by working).

Because of child labor, disease/malnutrition, and a prevailing view of children as 'little adults', hardship was the rule rather than the exception for most of history. We remain moved by the story of Huck Finn and others precisely because these experiences are closest to our own times rather than an accurate depiction of their own.