The second volume, Childhoods in Context examines the interplay between family, schooling, work, and other influences in the daily lives of children and young people. Topics include changing family patterns, debates about school versus work, and current concerns about child labour. Issues in early childhood are discussed, as well as the transition from child to adult.

The dramatic historical changes in parents' and children's patterns of work, both inside and outside the home, are examined in relation to the relatively recent emergence of universal schooling. In addition, this book questions contemporary children's involvement in work and their beliefs and decisions about institutional schooling; how this affects their experiences and to the control they have over their lives.