Children at Play : An American History / Howard P. Chudacoff.
2007
HQ792.U5 C46 2007eb
Linked e-resources
Linked Resource
Online Access
Details
Title
Children at Play : An American History / Howard P. Chudacoff.
ISBN
9780814790052
Published
New York, NY : : New York University Press, [2007]
Copyright
©2007
Language
English
Language Note
In English.
Description
1 online resource
Other Standard Identifiers
10.18574/nyu/9780814790052.001.0001 doi
Call Number
HQ792.U5 C46 2007eb
Dewey Decimal Classification
305.2310973
Summary
Hear the author interview on NPR's Morning EditionIf you believe the experts, "child's play"; is serious business. From sociologists to psychologists and from anthropologists to social critics, writers have produced mountains of books about the meaning and importance of play. But what do we know about how children actually play, especially American children of the last two centuries? In this fascinating and enlightening book, Howard Chudacoff presents a history of children's play in the United States and ponders what it tells us about ourselves.Through expert investigation in primary sources-including dozens of children's diaries, hundreds of autobiographical recollections of adults, and a wealth of child-rearing manuals-along with wide-ranging reading of the work of educators, journalists, market researchers, and scholars-Chudacoff digs into the "underground" of play. He contrasts the activities that genuinely occupied children's time with what adults thought children should be doing. Filled with intriguing stories and revelatory insights, Children at Play provides a chronological history of play in the U.S. from the point of view of children themselves. Focusing on youngsters between the ages of about six and twelve, this is history "from the bottom up." It highlights the transformations of play that have occurred over the last 200 years, paying attention not only to the activities of the cultural elite but to those of working-class men and women, to slaves, and to Native Americans. In addition, the author considers the findings, observations, and theories of numerous social scientists along with those of fellow historians.Chudacoff concludes that children's ability to play independently has attenuated over time and that in our modern era this diminution has frequently had unfortunate consequences. By examining the activities of young people whom marketers today call "tweens," he provides fresh historical depth to current discussions about topics like childhood obesity, delinquency, learning disability, and the many ways that children spend their time when adults aren't looking.
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
System Details Note
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
Digital File Characteristics
text file PDF
Source of Description
Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 18. Sep 2023)
Available in Other Form
print 9780814716649
Linked Resources
Online Access
Record Appears in
Online Resources > Ebooks
All Resources
All Resources
Table of Contents
Frontmatter
Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1 Childhood and Play in Early America, 1600-1800
2 The Attempt to Domesticate Childhood and Play, 1800-1850
3 The Stuff of Childhood, 1850-1900
4 The Invasion of Children's Play Culture, 1900-1950
5 The Golden Age of Unstructured Play, 1900-1950
6 The Commercialization and Co-optation of Children's Play, 1950 to the Present
7 Children's Play Goes Underground, 1950 to the Present
Conclusion
Notes
Index
About the Author
Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1 Childhood and Play in Early America, 1600-1800
2 The Attempt to Domesticate Childhood and Play, 1800-1850
3 The Stuff of Childhood, 1850-1900
4 The Invasion of Children's Play Culture, 1900-1950
5 The Golden Age of Unstructured Play, 1900-1950
6 The Commercialization and Co-optation of Children's Play, 1950 to the Present
7 Children's Play Goes Underground, 1950 to the Present
Conclusion
Notes
Index
About the Author