num_pages: 272
description: Children and youth occupy important social and political roles even as they sleep in cribs or hang out on street corners. Conceptualized as either harbingers or saboteurs of a bright secure tomorrow they have motivated many adult-driven schemes to effect a positive future. But have all children benefited from these programs and initiatives? Lost Kids examines adults misgivings about and the inadequate care of vulnerable children. From explorations of interracial adoption and the treatment of children with disabilities to discussions of the cultural construction of the hopeless child this multifaceted collection rejects the essentialism of the priceless child or lost youth  simplistic categories that continue to shape the treatment of those who deviate from the so-called norm.
language: English
title: Lost Kids: Vulnerable Children and Youth in Twentieth-Century Canada and the United States
publisher: UBC Press