A Better World for Children? - Explorations in Morality and Authority

By exploring such diverse issues as the management of child abuse, legal reforms following sex abuse enquiries, moral explanations for the actions of child murderers, the impossible task faced by social workers and the limitations of children's rights campaigns, Michael King examines the revolutionary ideas of the social theorist, Niklas Luhmann. He demonstrates how Luhmann's theory of authopoietic systems compels readers to re-examine exactly what they mean by society.
Questioning the relationship between personal morality and political will, it challenges the assumption that changing society is merely a matter of changing attitudes and highlights the pitfalls associated with formulating social reform.

List of contents

Preface, Chapter 1. Good Intentions into Social Action, Chapter 2. Child Abuse and the Regulation of Male Power, Chapter 3. Juridification in the Protection of the Scottish Child, Chapter 4. Doing Good for Children - Mission Impossible?, Chapter 5. The James Bulger Trial: Good or Bad for Guilty or Innocent Children, Chapter 6. Real or Imagined Communities and Families, Chapter 7. Observing Children's Rights, Chapter 8. A Different World for Children

About the author

Michael King is Professor and Director of the Centre for the Study of Law, the Child and the Family at the University of Brunel

Summary

This book questions the relationship between personal morality and political will, challenging the assumption that changing society is merely a matter of changing attitudes and highlights the pitfalls associated with formulating social reform

Product details

• Authors: Michael King
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 20.02.1997
• EAN: 9780415150187
• ISBN: 978-0-415-15018-7
• No. of pages: 240
• Weight: 340 g
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > Social education, social work; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine > General; Sociology, MEDICAL / Health Care Delivery, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Social Work, MEDICAL / Allied Health Services / General, Personal & public health, Social issues & processes, Social and ethical issues, Personal and public health / health education, Ethical issues and debates