The article presents theses that claim that children are a part of society and the world and that it is possible and necessary to connect childhood with major structural forces, expanding the conditions for sociological research of this social category. There is an argumentation, from events and studies that excluded children from their analysis, that the traditional focus on child development and socialization has hindered childhood's recognition as a social phenomenon. To conclude, the text indicates the need for an interdisciplinary approach to establish relationships between childhood as a category and the children in their everyday experiences, in order to understand children as citizens.
childhood; society; social structure; research; sociology