ABC for Father and Mother and Me. Representations of children as consumers in the picturebook of the interwar period

This article examines how the child consumer is represented in a selection of branded picturebooks at the beginning of the 20th century. By analyzing children’s books published by a commercial chain of stores, the Cooperation Union, the article discusses how depictions of children as consumers are c...

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Main Author: Elina Druker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Gdańsk 2016-05-01
Series:Problemy Wczesnej Edukacji
Subjects:
Online Access:https://czasopisma.bg.ug.edu.pl/index.php/pwe/article/view/789
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author Elina Druker
author_facet Elina Druker
author_sort Elina Druker
collection DOAJ
description This article examines how the child consumer is represented in a selection of branded picturebooks at the beginning of the 20th century. By analyzing children’s books published by a commercial chain of stores, the Cooperation Union, the article discusses how depictions of children as consumers are connected to the development of the emerging mass market and consumer society. The new ideas and marketing strategies expressed in these books also coincide with fundamental social changes in society, resulting from modernity and new technologies. Although the Cooperation books were designed for children and used familiar narrative techniques and motifs within children’s literature, I will argue that the books had a twofold audience. They were not only aimed at children but also at their parents. Representations of children as consumers in the studied material suggest that consumption is strongly connected to ideas of modernity and to representations of the modern child, but also that consumption is described as an inseparable part of the modern, urban experience.
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issn 1734-1582
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language English
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publisher University of Gdańsk
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series Problemy Wczesnej Edukacji
spelling doaj-art-5131cafc7a5e49e3b70b87a7e6a8ad692025-02-11T11:24:36ZengUniversity of GdańskProblemy Wczesnej Edukacji1734-15822451-22302016-05-01343ABC for Father and Mother and Me. Representations of children as consumers in the picturebook of the interwar periodElina Druker0Stockholm UniversityThis article examines how the child consumer is represented in a selection of branded picturebooks at the beginning of the 20th century. By analyzing children’s books published by a commercial chain of stores, the Cooperation Union, the article discusses how depictions of children as consumers are connected to the development of the emerging mass market and consumer society. The new ideas and marketing strategies expressed in these books also coincide with fundamental social changes in society, resulting from modernity and new technologies. Although the Cooperation books were designed for children and used familiar narrative techniques and motifs within children’s literature, I will argue that the books had a twofold audience. They were not only aimed at children but also at their parents. Representations of children as consumers in the studied material suggest that consumption is strongly connected to ideas of modernity and to representations of the modern child, but also that consumption is described as an inseparable part of the modern, urban experience. https://czasopisma.bg.ug.edu.pl/index.php/pwe/article/view/789modernityconsumerismchild consumeradvertisingpicturebookschildren's literature
spellingShingle Elina Druker
ABC for Father and Mother and Me. Representations of children as consumers in the picturebook of the interwar period
Problemy Wczesnej Edukacji
modernity
consumerism
child consumer
advertising
picturebooks
children's literature
title ABC for Father and Mother and Me. Representations of children as consumers in the picturebook of the interwar period
title_full ABC for Father and Mother and Me. Representations of children as consumers in the picturebook of the interwar period
title_fullStr ABC for Father and Mother and Me. Representations of children as consumers in the picturebook of the interwar period
title_full_unstemmed ABC for Father and Mother and Me. Representations of children as consumers in the picturebook of the interwar period
title_short ABC for Father and Mother and Me. Representations of children as consumers in the picturebook of the interwar period
title_sort abc for father and mother and me representations of children as consumers in the picturebook of the interwar period
topic modernity
consumerism
child consumer
advertising
picturebooks
children's literature
url https://czasopisma.bg.ug.edu.pl/index.php/pwe/article/view/789
work_keys_str_mv AT elinadruker abcforfatherandmotherandmerepresentationsofchildrenasconsumersinthepicturebookoftheinterwarperiod