ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on an exploration of personal values and how these impact on the quality of the provision for young children and their families. Sociologists and historians have been debating 'childhood' for decades, although it must be recognised that much of this debate has centred predominantly on the experience of children in Europe and North America. The chapter has been written at a time of international, rapid and ongoing change for children, whether due to factors such as children's health, involvement in conflict, child-labour or because of a national debate or focus on the quality of early education and the foundation stage in schools. By considering the views of various renowned educationalists, the chapter explores the idea of childhood and shows how children's development of personal values is influenced by the way adults, particularly teachers, practitioners and other professionals, relate to children and the extent to which they acknowledge that children have rights.
