The theory and methods of interdisciplinary child research are grounded in social studies of children and childhood research, which includes approaches linked with sociology, anthropology and geography, among others. The specialization is based on childhood as a social phenomenon, children as actors in society, and childhood in a social, cultural and historical context.

The focus on children’s perspectives and everyday life in relation to other generations is explored in the context of how structural factors affect children’s lives, and how they shape and change views of children and childhood. The specialization has an international profile in which PhD candidates and doctoral theses play a key role in recruitment to and development of knowledge in a relatively young field.