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…

Focusing mainly on the United Kingdom, this article reviews a decade of national and international policy and legal changes in relation to disabled children and their families. It discusses attempts to transform the ways that disabled children are perceived and the rights accorded to them. The UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons,…

This essay offers an extensive rehabilitation and reappraisal of the concept of childhood innocence as a means of testing the boundaries of some prevailing constructions of childhood. It excavates in detail some of the lost histories of innocence in order to show that these are more diverse and more complex than established and pejorative…

The authors investigate the nearly ubiquitous cultural icon for girls' play, the princess. They survey historical instances of princess play from the beginning of the American republic to the New Millennium, look at the literature concerning princesses in various periods, and discuss the individual recollections about princess play of a number of…

In this article, the author discusses her research on children's perspectives of interracial and interethnic friendships in a multiethnic school and highlights children's voices on these intergroup friendships. Schools are important spaces in which social and cultural competencies necessary to the formation of intergroup friendships may be…

Obesity prevalence has doubled among adults and overweight has tripled among children since 1980. This article discusses behavioral approaches to the obesity epidemic, focusing on recent environmental changes, the resulting behaviors, and possible solutions. Over the last 4 decades, time spent in sedentary activities, the consumption of fast food,…

Explains how changes in "Pinocchio" manifest changes in the social definition of childhood and how this literary classic, written in terms of one perception, has been rejected and rewritten to conform to another. (AEA)

Argues that childhood is a social artifact rather than a biological category. The idea of childhood is considered a product of the social change introduced initially by printing and then by electronic media. (Author/DB)

The American Revolution was but one in a series of influencing events which served to restrict the freedom of children. (JC)

Work and play are parts of the same whole and the detachment of the notion of effort from the idea of play has had confusing and dangerous consequences--dangerous, because the opportunities for children to engage in vital, self-selected play have been diminished in our society. This has been done partly through deliberate, conscious choice on the…

This article discusses the movement toward focusing on the individual rather than the disabling condition when referring to people with disabilities and contrasts acceptable and unacceptable terminology for people with different types of disabilities. The terms "impairment,""disability," and "handicap" are defined. (CR)

Discussed are characteristics of the modern Canadian family and the social context within which the issues of adolescent pregnancy and adolescent sexuality arise. Various options for families and related ambivalent attitudes toward such personal freedoms are described. The historical evolution of western industrialized society is briefly sketched,…

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 discusses how to use opera in secondary and college courses to illustrate and clarify historical developments. For example, opera can be used in social history courses to help students understand changing social attitudes toward the child in the 19th and 20th centuries. Students are first required to read a basic work on the history of…

The major theme of American childhood in the 20th century has been the rise and then the beginning decline of modern childhood. The term "modern childhood" refers to a particular constellation of adult attitudes and institutional arrangements, the heart of which is the belief that children should occupy a world of their own, separate from the…