This summer I had the unique opportunity to do research in London with Professor April Brayfield; a Newcomb Foundation grant enabled our collaboration abroad. We interviewed researchers at the Thomas Coram Research Unit of the University of London, visited the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, and collected British library materials. Such first-hand research taught me a great deal about the field of the sociology of childhood, how to network with other researchers, and how to carry out research in an international context.

We began our research by interviewing Dr. Claire Cameron and Dr. Tony Munton, both scholars at the University of London's Thomas Coram Research Unit. The Unit engages in research on children's social services, care, education, and health. Dr. Cameron works on the Children Act Project, a study which examines the implementation of the British 1989 Children's Act. She explained the Act, discussed its assets and problems, and compared it to U.S. legislation. In addition, she discussed the need to incorporate male child care workers into British day care centers. She also gave us numerous publications on European child care. Dr. Munton explained his efforts to create a self-assessment instrument for caregivers. His collaborative project seeks to improve the quality of child care in Britian and in Hungary.

While visiting the University of London, we also gained access to the library at its Institute of Education. We obtained articles from journals that are unavailable at Tulane University, such as Children & Society and Nursery World, which featured a series of articles about children's issues in the European Union. We also visited the University of Surrey library later in the week to obtain additional hard-to-get publications on children's issues.

The last day of our London collaboration consisted of a three hour visit to the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. Dr. Noreen Marshall, one of the curators, briefed us on the museum's collections concerning the social history of childhood and guided us on an extensive tour of the museum. Using historical artifacts as a medium for sociological analysis, we examined how material objects such as toys, clothes, and shoes represent changing social attitudes toward children. The exhibits made clear how social perceptions of children change over time. For example, artifacts such as cradles, feeding bottles, and baby-walkers may reflect how popular ideology of infant care may have evolved.

In conclusion, the field trip was an invaluable experience. I learned a great deal about the content of the sociology of childhood, about scholarly research in general, and about conducting research overseas. I was most impressed by the extent to which firsthand, international research expanded my knowlege of the field of childhood sociology. In addition, my collaboration with Professor Brayfield enabled me to observe and participate in the normally invisible research activities of professors. These experiences have inspired me to pursue a career in university research and scholarship.

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