ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces concepts central to threads of sociology and philosophy in the context of work with children and young people in the 21st century which run through this book. It begins to explore ever present but often invisible manifestations of power in the languages used to speak and write about play and playwork. The movements known as poststructuralism and postmodernism are presented, including critiques of these paradigms within social research. The arguments for and against postmodern methodologies in research with children and young people are explored in the light of key texts and authors such as Burman (2008), Ball (2013), and Dahlberg et al. (2013).
