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    Rights statement: The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Sexualities, 19 (3), 2016, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2016 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Sexualities page: http://sex.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/

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Tanner's puberty scale: exploring the historical entanglements of children, scientific photography and sex

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Tanner's puberty scale: exploring the historical entanglements of children, scientific photography and sex. / Roberts, Celia.
In: Sexualities, Vol. 19, No. 3, 01.03.2016, p. 328-346.

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@article{24b6daf175e34f428d88f112f151bc05,
title = "Tanner's puberty scale: exploring the historical entanglements of children, scientific photography and sex",
abstract = "Globally, increasing numbers of children are thought to be going through early onset puberty. This much debated fact leads to significant concerns about young people{\textquoteright}s sexualities, as early developers are thought to be more likely to engage in early sexual activity. Underpinning historical, national and subpopulation (including {\textquoteleft}racial{\textquoteright}) comparisons is a standard measurement tool: the Tanner Scale of sexual development. The scale is based on James M. Tanner and R.H. Whitehouse{\textquoteright}s ground-breaking longitudinal study of children{\textquoteright}s growth undertaken in London between 1949 and 1971. This article explores the largely over-looked and under-theorized significance of the scale{\textquoteright}s history, arguing that the study{\textquoteright}s focus on children living in an English care institution and its material practices of documenting their growth, including photography, has important ethical and scientific implications for understanding sexual development as a biopsychosocial process.",
keywords = "child growth , Harpenden, norms, puberty, scientific photography, sexual development, Tanner Scale",
author = "Celia Roberts",
note = "The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Sexualities, 19 (3), 2016, {\textcopyright} SAGE Publications Ltd, 2016 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Sexualities page: http://sex.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/ ",
year = "2016",
month = mar,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1177/1363460715593477",
language = "English",
volume = "19",
pages = "328--346",
journal = "Sexualities",
issn = "1363-4607",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Tanner's puberty scale

T2 - exploring the historical entanglements of children, scientific photography and sex

AU - Roberts, Celia

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Sexualities, 19 (3), 2016, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2016 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Sexualities page: http://sex.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - Globally, increasing numbers of children are thought to be going through early onset puberty. This much debated fact leads to significant concerns about young people’s sexualities, as early developers are thought to be more likely to engage in early sexual activity. Underpinning historical, national and subpopulation (including ‘racial’) comparisons is a standard measurement tool: the Tanner Scale of sexual development. The scale is based on James M. Tanner and R.H. Whitehouse’s ground-breaking longitudinal study of children’s growth undertaken in London between 1949 and 1971. This article explores the largely over-looked and under-theorized significance of the scale’s history, arguing that the study’s focus on children living in an English care institution and its material practices of documenting their growth, including photography, has important ethical and scientific implications for understanding sexual development as a biopsychosocial process.

AB - Globally, increasing numbers of children are thought to be going through early onset puberty. This much debated fact leads to significant concerns about young people’s sexualities, as early developers are thought to be more likely to engage in early sexual activity. Underpinning historical, national and subpopulation (including ‘racial’) comparisons is a standard measurement tool: the Tanner Scale of sexual development. The scale is based on James M. Tanner and R.H. Whitehouse’s ground-breaking longitudinal study of children’s growth undertaken in London between 1949 and 1971. This article explores the largely over-looked and under-theorized significance of the scale’s history, arguing that the study’s focus on children living in an English care institution and its material practices of documenting their growth, including photography, has important ethical and scientific implications for understanding sexual development as a biopsychosocial process.

KW - child growth

KW - Harpenden

KW - norms

KW - puberty

KW - scientific photography

KW - sexual development

KW - Tanner Scale

U2 - 10.1177/1363460715593477

DO - 10.1177/1363460715593477

M3 - Journal article

VL - 19

SP - 328

EP - 346

JO - Sexualities

JF - Sexualities

SN - 1363-4607

IS - 3

ER -