Drawing from a wide range of disciplines and perspectives, the essays in Multiple Lenses, Multiple Images are oriented around the idea that images of childhood can be understood within three dimensions: time, space, and discipline.

Time refers to both the chronological ages of the children under consideration and the historical timeframe in which that particular essay is suited. Space is a dimension that includes familial, community, institutional, and cultural spaces within which children live. The third dimension, discipline, names the specific and distinct areas of scholarship and research that define the ontology, epistemology, and methodology within which the contributors write.