Troubling Children: Studies of Children and Social Problems by Joel Best

Author:Joel Best [Best, Joel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Work, Social Science, Children's Studies
ISBN: 9780202304922
Google: RHBXTlRVMB4C
Goodreads: 5181971
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 1994-12-31T00:00:00+00:00

SYMBOLIC ASPECTS OF TOY SELECTION

The strong preference of parents for “educational” toys over toy weapons, video games, action figures, and other disfavored toys is paradoxical given the ambivalence the same parents have regarding the actual effects of toys on child development. The paradox arises, however, only if we view toy selection as an instrumental act, whether designed to educate children or let them have fun. If we instead analyze the symbolic dimensions of toy selection, the paradox dissolves.

My thesis is straightforward. Parental beliefs about and selection of toys are best viewed in terms of ritual and magic. Specifically, parents face many anxieties and uncertainties as they raise their children. In an effort to cope with these anxieties, parents seek to reduce the uncertainty they face by using toys as ritual objects imbued with magical powers to shape their children’s lives. I first discuss the sources of parental anxiety, then the ways in which toys are used in a ritual fashion to alleviate that anxiety.

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