As a child god from Chinese legends, the figure of Nezha has a strong appeal to children, and his story has been adapted to various media. This article examines Nezha's image in three animated films, exploring how this figure has been altered to represent Chinese children and youth and symbolize their subjectivity. From a revolutionary hero to a…

The contribution deals critically with the issue of citizenship and children's rights, identifying a silent void starting from the change we have witnessed with the progressive questioning of the principles, secular, and religious, of adult authority and the sacrosanct affirmation rights of minors and their defence against violence and abuse. This…

We study whether compulsory religious education in schools affects students' religiosity as adults. We exploit the staggered termination of compulsory religious education across German states in models with state and cohort fixed effects. Using three different datasets, we find that abolishing compulsory religious education significantly reduced…

Israeli teachers who teach Eritrean and Sudanese asylum-seeking children find themselves struggling to accommodate these children against the background of a polarized environment. The strategies teachers employ to cope with this tension are shaped by the broader socio-political context and the hostilities directed toward African asylum seekers in…

This paper synthesises recent educational research to explore the integration experiences of newcomer students in the United States of America. The authors examine the barriers and sources of support that are perceived to either hamper or facilitate the social and academic integration and psychological well-being of these students, and in so…

This paper explores the considerations of sexualisation and gender stereotyping in the recent UK government report "Letting Children be Children". This report, the "Bailey Review", claimed to represent the views of parents. However, closer reading reveals that, while the parents who were consulted were concerned about both the…

Research conducted in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks (9/11) suggests that, except for those who directly witnessed or suffered loss from the attacks, for most children the emotional impact was relatively transitory. We review this literature as well as consider other ways in which the attacks may have played a role in the…

We examined the prospective associations between family socio-economic background, childhood intelligence ("g") at age 11, educational and occupational attainment, and social attitudes at age 33 in a large (N = 8804), representative sample of the British population born in 1958. Structural equation Modeling identified a latent trait of…

Honored by the invitation to read and comment on the papers in this special edition, this final contribution is an appreciation of critical studies in education. This "C" word is dangerous in a neo-liberal world, but as the authors show there is much intellectually practical work that researchers and theorizers are doing. I take my…

Surveys collections of poetry by children, identifying aspects of the poetry that communicate children's social and political awareness of the contemporary world. Numerous sample poems are included. (Author/CM)

Uses a cross-sectional design to assess the reasoning of 65 children and adolescents in four age groups about kibbutz socio-political norms and issues. Responses to seven dilemmas are used to construct a developmental model of ideology labeled as kibbutzism, a variant of socialism circumscribed by the kibbutz. (JAC)

Interviewed American, British, and German young people about their ideas regarding numerous political, social, and moral issues. Discusses the children's conceptions of community and of law, the growth of principles, and their understanding of human psychology and social reality. (Author/GC)

Uses the 1988 film "A World Apart" as a focus for commentary on the controversial topic of involving children in political activism. Analyzes Hannah Arendt's writings for opinions on childhood activism, contrasting Arendt's views with those of Robert Coles. Gives examples from the desegregation crisis in the United States, China's Maoist…

This paper presents a portrait of youth in the United States--one that is at odds with media images painting a gloomy picture of a deeply troubled and irresponsible younger generation. Drawing upon numerous studies, Branson states that more students are staying in school longer, fewer drop out before earning a diploma, and fewer young girls become…

This paper was prepared collectively by participants of the third seminar in a series with the title Challenging ""Social Inclusion": Perspectives for and from Children and Young People". Three 3-day seminars took place at the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling in 2002-3 attended by academics, professionals from…