Childhood exists in all societies, though there is huge variation in the way it is socially constructed across time and place. Studying childhood historically greatly advances our understanding of what childhood is about and a world history focus permits some of the broadest questions to be asked. In Childhood in World History Peter N. Stearns focuses on childhood in several ways:

DT Childhood across change- the shift from hunting and gathering to an agricultural society and the impact of civilization and the emergence of major religions

DT New and old debates about the distinctive features of Western childhood, including child labor

DT The emergence of modern, industrial pattern of childhood in the West, Japan and communist societies, including a focus on education and economic dependence

DT Globalization and the spread of child-centered consumerism This historical perspective highlights the gains but also the divisions and losses for children across the millennia.