States of Childhood: From the Junior Republic to the American Republic, 1895-1945

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Jennifer S. Light

States of Childhood

From the Junior Republic to the American Republic, 1895-1945

Jennifer S. Light

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English

MIT Press
14 July 2020

History of the Americas; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Age groups: children; Social welfare & social services; Labour economics

How ""virtual adulthood""--children's role play in simulated cities, states, and nations--helped construct a new kind of ""sheltered"" childhood for American young people.

A number of curious communities sprang up across the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century- simulated cities, states, and nations in which children played the roles of legislators, police officers, bankers, journalists, shopkeepers, and other adults. They performed real work-passing laws, growing food, and constructing buildings, among other tasks-inside virtual worlds. In this book, Jennifer Light examines the phenomena of ""junior republics"" and argues that they marked the transition to a new kind of ""sheltered"" childhood for American youth. Banished from the labor force and public life, children inhabited worlds that mirrored the one they had left.

Light describes the invention of junior republics as independent institutions and how they were later established at schools, on playgrounds, in housing projects, and on city streets, as public officials discovered children's role playing helped their bottom line. The junior republic movement aligned with cutting-edge developmental psychology and educational philosophy, and complemented the era's fascination with models and miniatures, shaping educational and recreational programs across the nation. Light's account of how earlier generations distinguished ""real life"" from role playing reveals a hidden history of child labor in America and offers insights into the deep roots of such contemporary concepts as gamification, play labor, and virtuality.

By: Jennifer S. Light
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 178mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 731g
ISBN: 9780262539012
ISBN 10: 0262539012
Pages: 472
Publication Date: 14 July 2020
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgements Introduction: Child Protection or Child Labor? Part I: Performing Adulthood Chapter 1: The Smallest Republic in the World Chapter 2: Stages of Childhood Part II: The Rhetoric and Reality of Child Protection Chapter 3: Constructing Youth, Constructing Youth-Serving Institutions Chapter 4: The Drama of the Street Part III: From Models and Dramatizations to Education and Recreation Chapter 5: Serving Community and Nation Chapter 6: Expanding and Erasing the Republic Idea Conclusion: The Legacies of William R. George Epilogue: What Happened to Junior Republics? Notes Index

Jennifer S. Light is Director of the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, where she is Bern Dibner Professor of the History of Science and Technology and Professor of Urban Studies and Planning. She is also Senior Research Fellow at the Charles Babbage Institute at the University of Minnesota.

Reviews for States of Childhood: From the Junior Republic to the American Republic, 1895-1945

States of Childhood is a fascinating contribution to the history of childhood that makes us rethink young people's role in the modern state. Throughout, Light's focus on dramaturgy, simulation, and performance in the model worlds of junior republics offers a brilliant perspective that will interest scholars in the humanities and social sciences alike. - Lynn Spigel, Frances Willard Professor of Screen Cultures, Northwestern University As we contemplate the pedagogical applications of virtual reality and the worldbuilding potential of generative models, Jennifer Light calls our attention to the 'junior republics' of the last century, where youth practiced being adults and served as a supplemental labor force for their municipalities. In this characteristically meticulous study, Light offers a fascinating genealogy of roleplaying and town planning. - Shannon Mattern, Professor of Anthropology, The New School