Keeping healthy at home and school: ‘it's my body, so it's my job‘

Abstract

This paper focusses on children as a social group, in order to discuss the division of labour in health care between children, parents and teachers. It draws on data from a qualitative study of children's, parents’ and teachers’ perspectives on the health care of primary school children. The paper argues that the distinctive social and emotional context of the home and the school are critical for the structuring of children's health care activities and experience. In particular the paper considers children's own contributions to health care and the functions of their own social worlds in the division of labour. Copyright © 1993, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved