ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on children who are 10 years old or younger. Data show that American children are less likely to survive their first year of life than their peers in 19 other affluent nations. Contributing conditions include higher poverty rates and a deficient government safety net, with poor children and the members of racial minorities, who are disproportionately poor, at high risk for infant mortality.
Poor children’s families often have insufficient income to meet their food, clothing, and housing needs, with parental support potentially playing a major role in supporting offspring’s coping capacity. An additional risk young children of color can face is racist treatment. To counter the impact of racism, many parents of color engage in racial socialization, preparing their children for a world where it persists.
In their youth girls’ gender-role influences are diversified. Over time books for preschool children have increased both female characters’ participation and their range of roles. However, studies do indicate continuing gender differences in outlooks and behavior as well as the persistent impact of highly traditional media sources, such as the 11 Disney princesses.
The chapter closes with a discussion of a significant early childhood challenge—preschoolers’ school readiness.
