Rematerialising Children's Agency

"[Blazek's] dynamic, interactive, and reflexive approach to discovery is based on a strong foundation in theory but is not limited by it...[This] book offers a springboard for further studies on the socio-political and cultural relevance of child agency." Slavic Review

"Inspirational for both academics and practitioners, this book draws extensively on rich empirical data and original field notes as well as being grounded in the relevant literatures. It offers many thoughts on the details of everyday life and the ethics of studying this." Bettina van Hoven, University of Groningen, the Netherlands

"Based in rich, insightful empirical analyses, this important book offers a unique theory of children’s social-political action, both rooted in and effective beyond local places. A timely intervention into contemporary academic debates about children’s agency." Peter Kraftl, University of Birmingham

Matej Blazek is Lecturer in Human Geography at the Loughborough University, UK. He is a social geographer with a particular interest in the geography of marginalisation, childhood, migration and emotions. He is also active in community youth work as a practitioner and trainer.

Part One:

Introduction;

Part Two:

Locating the field;

Practising the field;

Thinking the field;

Part Three:

Public spaces of Kopčany;

The body and embodiment;

Things;

Everyday social encounters and circumscribed routines;

Family life;

Friendship;

Notions of social identity;

Part Four:

Rematerialising children’s agency.