Parenting and the State in Britain and Europe, c. 1870-1950

This innovative collection draws on original research to explore the dynamic interactions between parents, governments and their representatives across a range of European contexts; from democratic Britain and Finland, to Stalinist Russia and Fascist Italy. The authors pay close attention to the various relationships and dynamics between parents and the state, showing that the different parties were defined not solely by coercion or manipulation, but also by collaboration and negotiation. Parents were not passive recipients of government direction: rituals and cultures of parenting could both affirm and undermine state politics. Readers will find this collection crucial to understanding family life and the role of the state during a period when both underwent significant change. 

Hester Barron is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Sussex, and is especially interested in the themes of identity, community, childhood, parenting and schooling. Her previous publications include The 1926 Miners' Lockout: Meanings of Community in the Durham Coalfield (2009).

Claudia Siebrecht is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Sussex, with interests in  the cultural history of war and violence in 20th century Germany and Europe. Her previous work includes The Aesthetics of Loss: German Women's Art of the First World War (2013).