September 8, 2011
_War Dance, 2007 [*]
The film War Dance focuses on three children in Uganda as they prepare for a chance to enter the national song and dance competition. It also looks at the hellish realities of war that they experience regularly. Even the strict demands of the performance instructors are preferred over the idea of becoming a child soldier, and the children realize this. At the end of it all, they know that all they have to seek solace is their music. The film does its best to dignify the children - and it does so fairly well - but the delivery of the "tarnished childhood innocence" seems somewhat too familiar.
On the positive side, much credit goes to the filmmakers for showcasing the positive and negative sides of the lives of these children. The innocent representation of these children is obvious on the positive end. The conventional representations of the young and innocent are most prominent, with the excited sounds of their musical instruments, especially their voices. All of this excitement is not without reason: it is in anticipation for Uganda's national musical competition. Also of significance is their association with the Acholi tribe situated in northern Uganda. Despite the stigma placed upon the war-torn north, the kids remain determined to break this stigma. There is also a connection between the children and their instructors, acting as parental figureheads. This is where the object attachment theory comes in; the objects in this scenario are the figureheads to whom they are obedient. The worlds in which they surround themselves in search of support are those of the family and of the Acholi tribal community.
The film War Dance focuses on three children in Uganda as they prepare for a chance to enter the national song and dance competition. It also looks at the hellish realities of war that they experience regularly. Even the strict demands of the performance instructors are preferred over the idea of becoming a child soldier, and the children realize this. At the end of it all, they know that all they have to seek solace is their music. The film does its best to dignify the children - and it does so fairly well - but the delivery of the "tarnished childhood innocence" seems somewhat too familiar.
On the positive side, much credit goes to the filmmakers for showcasing the positive and negative sides of the lives of these children. The innocent representation of these children is obvious on the positive end. The conventional representations of the young and innocent are most prominent, with the excited sounds of their musical instruments, especially their voices. All of this excitement is not without reason: it is in anticipation for Uganda's national musical competition. Also of significance is their association with the Acholi tribe situated in northern Uganda. Despite the stigma placed upon the war-torn north, the kids remain determined to break this stigma. There is also a connection between the children and their instructors, acting as parental figureheads. This is where the object attachment theory comes in; the objects in this scenario are the figureheads to whom they are obedient. The worlds in which they surround themselves in search of support are those of the family and of the Acholi tribal community.
_
On the darker side of things, however, the
chances of the children being sent away to kill or be killed is dangerously
high. The Lord's Resistance Army has occupied Uganda, particularly the northern
region. Part of their plan is to recruit younger members - mostly those around
the same age of the three children. Some of the children have had their family
killed by the Army, and therefore they are reluctant to join them. There is one
chilling scene in which one of the children, Dominic, comes face-to-face with
one of the soldiers at a military base. He asks about his brother, who has gone
missing for some time. The soldier responds by saying that either he may have
been shot dead, or he became a soldier and therefore may not have a chance of
returning home. Going back to the object attachment theory, the worlds of fear
and intimidation present themselves. It must be hard to understand how Dominic
built up the courage to question those that claim absolute authority.
The one thing that worried me about this film was that while the story itself is compelling, it feels like a story that has been told many times before. The narrative of a violated childhood is common trope in the minds of viewers. This is especially true if the viewers are from the West and the subject is based in a domain of the Other, such as an African nation. It may not come as too much of a surprise, and it can result in what is termed "compassion fatigue", where Western viewers become particularly passive to the plight of the Other (Moeller, 1999) [*].
The one thing that worried me about this film was that while the story itself is compelling, it feels like a story that has been told many times before. The narrative of a violated childhood is common trope in the minds of viewers. This is especially true if the viewers are from the West and the subject is based in a domain of the Other, such as an African nation. It may not come as too much of a surprise, and it can result in what is termed "compassion fatigue", where Western viewers become particularly passive to the plight of the Other (Moeller, 1999) [*].
September 15, 2011
_
Childhood as
Commodity ("Building the Perfect Product" by Naarah Sawers) [*]
Sawers' article draws upon society's constructed ideas of childhood, and how those constructions become commodities, citing companies like the Walt Disney Corporation as quintessential specialists in the capitalization of childhood. This notion is taken to its literal extreme in the Disney feature film Pinocchio (1940), based on the Carlo Collodi story of the same name. Sawers also draws parallels with more recent films that focus on "creating" children, such as Steven Spielberg's A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha's Robots (2005). The processes of the manufacture of childhood within these movies are therefore becoming a mirror image of the real-life commoditizing of the child, as advances in technology have rendered it more literal than symbolic.
Reading this article, I not only found myself in agreement with Sawers, but I also thought about how these films' concepts can be applied to real-world situations different from the technological. For example, the reasons that parents discipline their children have to do with how they wish to shape their behaviour to encourage proper future development. Just as a mother would create a child by way of birth, the same mother may also be charged with creating the child's approach to the world. Also, the idea of the school curriculum uses education to impose its impressions of childhood on the students, according to what it believes is of interest to them.
On the commodification end, advertisers would arguably play the greatest role. The great amount of products marketed to children shows what happens when a constructed notion such as childhood is reformed into an object to be sold and purchased. Stores such as Toys R Us, The Children's Place and Build-a-Bear Workshop are specifically aimed at the younger market and therefore serve to capitalize upon childhood.
Sawers' article draws upon society's constructed ideas of childhood, and how those constructions become commodities, citing companies like the Walt Disney Corporation as quintessential specialists in the capitalization of childhood. This notion is taken to its literal extreme in the Disney feature film Pinocchio (1940), based on the Carlo Collodi story of the same name. Sawers also draws parallels with more recent films that focus on "creating" children, such as Steven Spielberg's A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha's Robots (2005). The processes of the manufacture of childhood within these movies are therefore becoming a mirror image of the real-life commoditizing of the child, as advances in technology have rendered it more literal than symbolic.
Reading this article, I not only found myself in agreement with Sawers, but I also thought about how these films' concepts can be applied to real-world situations different from the technological. For example, the reasons that parents discipline their children have to do with how they wish to shape their behaviour to encourage proper future development. Just as a mother would create a child by way of birth, the same mother may also be charged with creating the child's approach to the world. Also, the idea of the school curriculum uses education to impose its impressions of childhood on the students, according to what it believes is of interest to them.
On the commodification end, advertisers would arguably play the greatest role. The great amount of products marketed to children shows what happens when a constructed notion such as childhood is reformed into an object to be sold and purchased. Stores such as Toys R Us, The Children's Place and Build-a-Bear Workshop are specifically aimed at the younger market and therefore serve to capitalize upon childhood.
_
The Language of
Drawing ("Spontaneous Drawing: The Forgotten Language of Childhood"
by Bob Steele) [*]
Drawing can be conceptualized as a means of communicating a language, according to Steele. In his study on children's drawings, he notes the stories being told and the aesthetics being applied, and declares that the drawings express a unique language beyond words. Among the drawings are those that may not be considered "works of art" yet still maintain a linguistic appeal. Steele ultimately says that spontaneous drawing should be an important part of language arts education. His vision of language pedagogy has been attempted and subsequently scrapped, due to a desire for a "back to basics" approach.
To provide an example of drawing as language, he examines one child's drawing, depicting a parade in Chinatown. He analyzes it using two factors: its aesthetic energy and its status as a work of art. His idea of a "work of art" combines form, which creates meaning, with content, which incorporates an experience worthy of sharing. In the child's drawing, the content consists of the colourful dragon float that impressed him at the parade. In terms of form, his drawing technique combines many basic shapes to recreate his experience with the float.
I appreciate the angle that Steele takes regarding spontaneous drawing as a language without words. After all, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. However, I happened to have had a different experience from the "back to basics" approach he speaks against. I remember that the grade-school journal entries I wrote were usually accompanied by pictures, thus encouraging the fusion of words and pictures, or in Steele's case, the communication of two languages.
Drawing can be conceptualized as a means of communicating a language, according to Steele. In his study on children's drawings, he notes the stories being told and the aesthetics being applied, and declares that the drawings express a unique language beyond words. Among the drawings are those that may not be considered "works of art" yet still maintain a linguistic appeal. Steele ultimately says that spontaneous drawing should be an important part of language arts education. His vision of language pedagogy has been attempted and subsequently scrapped, due to a desire for a "back to basics" approach.
To provide an example of drawing as language, he examines one child's drawing, depicting a parade in Chinatown. He analyzes it using two factors: its aesthetic energy and its status as a work of art. His idea of a "work of art" combines form, which creates meaning, with content, which incorporates an experience worthy of sharing. In the child's drawing, the content consists of the colourful dragon float that impressed him at the parade. In terms of form, his drawing technique combines many basic shapes to recreate his experience with the float.
I appreciate the angle that Steele takes regarding spontaneous drawing as a language without words. After all, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. However, I happened to have had a different experience from the "back to basics" approach he speaks against. I remember that the grade-school journal entries I wrote were usually accompanied by pictures, thus encouraging the fusion of words and pictures, or in Steele's case, the communication of two languages.
_
School of Rock, 2003 [*]
In an effort to start a new band, a man (Jack Black) decides to take up a part-time teaching job at a prestigious grade school. He takes the opportunity to use the students as members of the band, while keeping a watchful eye on the school staff. Along the way, he learns about the children's qualities and helps them to break out of their shells.
In an effort to start a new band, a man (Jack Black) decides to take up a part-time teaching job at a prestigious grade school. He takes the opportunity to use the students as members of the band, while keeping a watchful eye on the school staff. Along the way, he learns about the children's qualities and helps them to break out of their shells.
_
The teacher's "unofficial"
curriculum in School of Rock clashes with the official one promoted by the staff, creating
division in deciding what and how the students will learn. Also, it seems that
because he is only seeking new band members, he is only looking after his own
selfish interests. However, he does show some compassion in the scene during
lunch, where he talks with a socially awkward student that is reluctant about
joining a band. He reassures him of the exciting experience being promised to
him.
September 22, 2011
_
Childhood in the
Home (As I Remember Them by Jeanne-Elise Olsen) [*]
Olsen recalls her memories of her childhood home in Quebec, going into great detail about the appearance of the house and the relationship with her parents and siblings. She also tells a variety of stories of life in the neighbourhood, such as household chores and family gatherings. The account of Olsen's childhood is heavy on nostalgia and is reminiscent of perceived simpler times.
This chapter in As I Remember It reminded me of the way in which I tend to think about my own childhood. I would always remember life as being simpler, although I may not have thought that at the time. As well, those older than me during my childhood seemed to have thought of that time as being rather complicated, given that they have recollections with the same sentiment as Olsen's.
Olsen recalls her memories of her childhood home in Quebec, going into great detail about the appearance of the house and the relationship with her parents and siblings. She also tells a variety of stories of life in the neighbourhood, such as household chores and family gatherings. The account of Olsen's childhood is heavy on nostalgia and is reminiscent of perceived simpler times.
This chapter in As I Remember It reminded me of the way in which I tend to think about my own childhood. I would always remember life as being simpler, although I may not have thought that at the time. As well, those older than me during my childhood seemed to have thought of that time as being rather complicated, given that they have recollections with the same sentiment as Olsen's.
_The Voices of
Children in a New Land ("Stories of Fracture and Claim for Belonging"
by Mary Adams) [*]
The stories of asylum-seeking children in the UK are captured and analyzed in this project conducted by Adams. One thing to note here is the anthropological perspective applied to the narratives. From this perspective we learn five main points about the study:
The implications of safety are found in the sharp contrast between the underdeveloped conditions of the origin country and the relatively calm nature of Britain. Not all was positive about their new residence; one boy from Kosovo recalls his time spent in a hostel eating nothing more than beans, and a girl from Zimbabwe notes that the food is not quite the same in Britain as it is where she is from.
The stories of asylum-seeking children in the UK are captured and analyzed in this project conducted by Adams. One thing to note here is the anthropological perspective applied to the narratives. From this perspective we learn five main points about the study:
- The purpose of the collection is to compile a series of stories from young refugees in Britain, looking at their current situation there.
- The narrative approach is seen as a valuable one, especially when framed by children or young people.
- Many of the recollections use the simple comparison between their new found home in Britain and their previous home.
- These narratives are framed using language related to processes of immigration and comparisons with the children's countries of origin.
- The elaborate nature of the stories leads to an anthropological idea of narrative as dramatic practice.
The implications of safety are found in the sharp contrast between the underdeveloped conditions of the origin country and the relatively calm nature of Britain. Not all was positive about their new residence; one boy from Kosovo recalls his time spent in a hostel eating nothing more than beans, and a girl from Zimbabwe notes that the food is not quite the same in Britain as it is where she is from.
September 29, 2011
Children and Adolescents (Children, Adolescents and the Media, Second Edition by Victor Strasburger, Barbara Wilson, and Amy Jordan) [*]
It is no surprise that children are more engaged with media than ever. The creation and convergence of new communication technologies have become both a blessing and a curse for parents and children alike. Media phenomena such as the Internet and the smartphone were once largely unavailable; now, they are easier to access for anyone, especially children. Because of this, there are constant fears from adults that children will be exposed to inappropriate content that they are too naive to process. The counter-argument is that children are wise enough to make their own decisions when it comes to consuming habits. In this chapter of Children, Adolescents and the Media, the media consumption patterns of youth are understood through differences: the differences between children and adults, between different ages of children, and between children and adolescents. The variation in cognitive processes allows children to handle media differently.
The chapter mentions that the minds of younger children can bring fictional media into the real world. For example, a child may anticipate a cartoon character coming over to their home and playing with them. I found it interesting how media can stimulate the imagination at such an early age. The argument that younger children perceive media with a degree of naïveté is flawed, as the imagination is an important starting point towards shaping the real world as they become older. The things that are dreamt up today can lead to real-life ideas and solutions for tomorrow.
It is no surprise that children are more engaged with media than ever. The creation and convergence of new communication technologies have become both a blessing and a curse for parents and children alike. Media phenomena such as the Internet and the smartphone were once largely unavailable; now, they are easier to access for anyone, especially children. Because of this, there are constant fears from adults that children will be exposed to inappropriate content that they are too naive to process. The counter-argument is that children are wise enough to make their own decisions when it comes to consuming habits. In this chapter of Children, Adolescents and the Media, the media consumption patterns of youth are understood through differences: the differences between children and adults, between different ages of children, and between children and adolescents. The variation in cognitive processes allows children to handle media differently.
The chapter mentions that the minds of younger children can bring fictional media into the real world. For example, a child may anticipate a cartoon character coming over to their home and playing with them. I found it interesting how media can stimulate the imagination at such an early age. The argument that younger children perceive media with a degree of naïveté is flawed, as the imagination is an important starting point towards shaping the real world as they become older. The things that are dreamt up today can lead to real-life ideas and solutions for tomorrow.
_Advertising (Children, Adolescents and the Media) [*]
In a capital-driven society such as ours, everyone is a consumer whether they like it or not. Adults make purchases in their daily lives in order to get by. This constant need to buy is actually something that comes from exposure to advertising at a young age. Since the 1930s, children have been presented with merchandise of interest to them, often connected to a major media franchise. The new tactics and opportunities given to advertisers may explain the astronomical rise in spending on children's products such as toys, foods, clothing and others. There are differences in how children get what they want. While younger children use the "nag factor" to coerce their parents into buying something, older youth might have enough of a disposable income to purchase things for themselves.
If children are being prepared for the world of consumerism, I would say that, in a sense, advertising is a lead-in to maintaining life as an adult. However, it is up to outside forces - most important of all parents - to educate children about why and how they spend, and the consequences of spending unwisely.
In a capital-driven society such as ours, everyone is a consumer whether they like it or not. Adults make purchases in their daily lives in order to get by. This constant need to buy is actually something that comes from exposure to advertising at a young age. Since the 1930s, children have been presented with merchandise of interest to them, often connected to a major media franchise. The new tactics and opportunities given to advertisers may explain the astronomical rise in spending on children's products such as toys, foods, clothing and others. There are differences in how children get what they want. While younger children use the "nag factor" to coerce their parents into buying something, older youth might have enough of a disposable income to purchase things for themselves.
If children are being prepared for the world of consumerism, I would say that, in a sense, advertising is a lead-in to maintaining life as an adult. However, it is up to outside forces - most important of all parents - to educate children about why and how they spend, and the consequences of spending unwisely.