Description
Book SynopsisBuilding on previous research and including interviews and surveys of children, this book examines the effect of the media including television, video games, films, books, and text books on children's ideas about democracy as well as the implications that their classroom and media experiences have on their preparation for citizenship.
Trade ReviewWhat it means and what it takes to be a citizen lies at the heart of this important book. If our belief in the promise of schooling for democracy is to be taken seriously, Sugarman gives us a wake-up call. With a strong mix of critical awareness and hope, she awakens us, adults, to what is at stake when we settle for a vision of school success content to rely upon superficial, rigid, standards and a narrow-minded landscape of experiences. -- Frank Pignatelli, Bank Street College of Education
If Kids Could Vote is a fascinating investigation into the formation of children's political consciousness. Told through the voices of children themselves, it demonstrates how children construct ideas about citizenship and democracy from messages they receive at home, at school, and in the media. A must read for parents, teachers, (and politicians) seeking to understand their influence on the next generation of voters. -- David Phillips, Wesleyan University
This is an outstanding contribution to our knowledge of how children perceive politics and the media. Sally Sugarman really knows children. She is well respected for her influence on the scholarly analysis of popular culture. Here she provides a superb contribution to our further understanding of them, and of course ourselves. This is a very impressive, very well written book and will be referred to by researchers and reporters for at least the next decade. -- Michael Kalinowski, University of New Hampshire
Table of ContentsChapter 1 The Changing Nature of Childhood and of the Media Chapter 2 The Beginnings of the Study Chapter 3 A Look at Three Elections Chapter 4 Politics and the Media in a Non-Election Year Chapter 5 Books, Textbooks, and the Classroom Chapter 6 The New Media Chapter 7 Educating for Democracy
