Reference Reviews
Lawrence Looks at Books
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Children’s Issues Worldwide, edited by Irving Epstein. 6 vols. 2,831p. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008. 978-0-313-33614-0; 2007-31312. $599.95.
In Nigeria, some 15 million children work as house servants, street hawkers, shoe shiners, agricultural workers, miners or other forms of child labor. Many millions are forced to work long hours and even more are prevented from attending school. In contrast, Spain requires compulsory education up to the age of 16 and does not permit the employment of children under that age except in special circumstances in the entertainment industry. Needless to say, the quality of life and opportunities for advancement enjoyed by children in these two countries differ dramatically. With increasing globalization, these contrasts between the rich and the poor nations of the world are widening. As economic stress strains the ability of impoverished families to survive, children are more likely to work, be vulnerable to exploitation and face lifelong poverty.
However, economic conditions are only one factor affecting the lives of children. Religious beliefs, legal protections, health and education policies and traditional family structures all influence their quality of life. This ambitious guide provides a standardized approach for comparing these significant variances from country to country. Coverage is selective but includes 125 countries, Puerto Rico and the Palestinian Territories. The six volumes are divided by region. Each entry begins with a summary of economic, political and security issues confronting the country, as well as general population trends, legal traditions and many historical processes affecting children. Separate sections address the prevalence of education, popular forms of recreation, family dynamics, health conditions, legal structures, religious practices and attention to child abuse. The discussions conclude with assessments of prospects for improvements in the future. Extensive resource guides for each country note publications, visual media, web sites and organizations. Each volume is separately indexed, but the volume on North Africa and the Middle East includes a comprehensive index as well as extracts of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional protocols. Numerous charts and graphs support the text, but comparative statistical tables of standardized data for all countries are lacking. Nonetheless, this valuable guide provides a comprehensive approach to children’s issues worldwide.
—John R.M. Lawrence