States of Childhood
From the Junior Republic to the American Republic, 1895-1945
- Paperback
472 pages
- Release Date
20 October 2020
Summary
How “virtual adulthood”–children’s role play in simulated cities, states, and nations–helped construct a new kind of “sheltered” childhood for American young people.
A number of curious communities sprang up across the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century- simulated cities, states, and nations in which children played the roles of legislators, police officers, bankers, journalists, shopkeepers, and other adults. They performed real work-passing laws, growin…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780262539012 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0262539012 |
| Author: | Jennifer S. Light |
| Publisher: | MIT Press Ltd |
| Imprint: | MIT Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 472 |
| Release Date: | 20 October 2020 |
| Weight: | 369g |
| Dimensions: | 229mm x 178mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
“States of Childhood is a fascinating contribution to the history of childhood that makes us rethink young people’s role in the modern state. Throughout, Light’s focus on dramaturgy, simulation, and performance in the model worlds of junior republics offers a brilliant perspective that will interest scholars in the humanities and social sciences alike.”
– Lynn Spigel, Frances Willard Professor of Screen Cultures, Northwestern University
“As we contemplate the pedagogical applications of virtual reality and the worldbuilding potential of generative models, Jennifer Light calls our attention to the ‘junior republics’ of the last century, where youth practiced being adults and served as a supplemental labor force for their municipalities. In this characteristically meticulous study, Light offers a fascinating genealogy of roleplaying and town planning.”
– Shannon Mattern, Professor of Anthropology, The New School
About The Author
Jennifer S. Light
Jennifer S. Light is Director of the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, where she is Bern Dibner Professor of the History of Science and Technology and Professor of Urban Studies and Planning. She is also Senior Research Fellow at the Charles Babbage Institute at the University of Minnesota.
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