Review of Childhood

Almost 10 years after Childhood and Society (Palgrave, 2nd edn, 2011), Michael Wyness, an associate professor of childhood studies at the University of Warwick, now brings to print a short yet broad introduction to the study of childhood. In particular, this book discusses multiple views about childhood, a concept that for the past two decades has been contested within social sciences’ critical theorizing. On the back cover of the book, William A Corsaro and Alan Prout, well-known scholars from the field, are unanimous in recognizing the value of this new contribution in childhood studies. The interested and attentive reader should not be indifferent to their words and judgment; Wyness’s Childhood is a ‘gem,’ according to Corsaro.

Federative dynamics in the EU under the influence of EU citizenship rights in times of crisis

The federative debate has been tied to the history of the EU integration from the start. Even though the EU is a polity in formation, the comparison with the state model has limited usefulness in assessing the evolution of federative dynamics in the EU. In the context of the EU, federalism should not be regarded as a static arrangement, but rather as a process that has been unfolding despite or because of EU integration setbacks. By the same token, EU citizenship is necessarily distinct from national citizenship. Our purpose in this article is to understand the federative dynamics of the EU in relation to the emergence of a “community of rights”. We also aim to establish if, and how, the on-going crisis has triggered a change in the EU federative process as a result of the weakening/strengthening of citizenship rights.