Pricing the Priceless Child

Explore the fascinating transformation of childhood in the United States with Pricing the Priceless Child by Viviana A. Zelizer. Published by Princeton University Press in 1994, this revised edition spans 296 pages and delves into the complex interplay between economic value and emotional significance attributed to children from the late 1800s to the 1930s. As laws began to remove children from the marketplace, society started to adopt new sentimental criteria to assess a child's worth. Zelizer expertly traces the emergence of the modern child, highlighting the paradox of being economically 'useless' yet emotionally 'priceless.' This thought-provoking book is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical context of childhood and its evolving societal perceptions.