Countering essentialism in behavioural social science: the example of 'thevulnerable child' ethnographically examined

After discussing ways in which the concept of vulnerability is applied to c hildren in psychology and sociology. It is argued that many of these may ar ise from the mistaken concretisation of essentialising concepts which have sometimes thereby become barriers to, rather than facilitators of, sociolog ical understanding. Fieldwork is presented and analysed concerning the inte ractions of some London children, and their characterisations of themselves and others, in a variety of home, school and other settings. It is suggest ed that situations in which children are present often do generate 'vulnera bility' in all participants not only in the children. In classrooms and els ewhere the attribution and reality of vulnerability moves rapidly between p ersons as situations develop and change.