In this chapter I set into motion a critical sociology of children's leisure that frames my study of British Indian children's leisure geographies. In doing so, I contend that long held adult-centric assumptions at the heart of leisure studies have resulted in the marginalisation of children within leisure theory. Similarly, childhood scholars working on leisure have failed to build bridges with leisure studies resulting in these two fields of research developing in mutual isolation. In response, I propose a critical sociological framework for unpacking children's leisure, underpinned by a sustained dialogue between leisure studies and childhood studies. Integral to my approach is a tripartite model of three interlocking genres of children's leisure – namely organised, family and casual leisure – which I will develop in this chapter. The importance of this framework and the reflections on the state of children's leisure research presented in this chapter go beyond my empirical study with middle-class British Indians. They can offer new directions to future scholars working on children's leisure.

The chapter is organised in four major sections. I begin by sketching the historical trajectory of childhood sociology and consider its key lines of enquiry as they relate to the study of children's leisure. This is followed in the second section by a critique of adult-centrism in leisure theory and its role in pushing children to the margins of leisure research. Given the historical lack of dialogue between childhood studies and leisure studies to date, I have used this space to elaborate on some of the key conceptual developments from both areas of scholarship so that readers from either field can appreciate the concepts I will be deploying through the book and trace their intellectual lineage. This will set the stage for a discussion about the untapped opportunity of bringing these two fields of research together. In the third section, I will present the tripartite model of three genres of children's leisure. Next, I will comment on the way I have operationalised this model in my study with middle-class British Indian families.

Sociology of childhood: debates and direction

Sociology as a discipline has had a fraught relationship with children. Although children have never been completely absent from early sociological writings, they were never recognised as full members of society.