Papers
Beyond Social Constructionism: A Structural Analysis of the Cultural Significance of the Child Star
Published in 'Children & Society' Vol 23, (2009) pp.214-225
This article challenges the dominance of social constructionist theories of childhood by presenting a structural analysis of the child star as a recurrent, universal feature in the myths and legends of the world. The article argues that by conceptualising our understanding of children and childhood as being due soley to the socio-historical context in which they live, an important dimension of childhood may be overlooked. Through looking at media stories about child stars throughout the twentieth century, this article uses a psychoanalytic Jungina framework to explore deeper similarities and patterns in cultural story telling about children over different eras and social contexts.
LikeThe Demonisation of Charlotte Church: Media Constructions of a UK child prodigy
Published in 'Journal of Children and Media' Vol 3, No. 2, 2009
This paper traces the media coverage of former child prodigy Charlotte Church over the period 1998-2007 as she moved from a charmed childhood through a turbulent adolescence and into young womanhood. Through an analysis of newspaper stories about the young star, I argue that Church is presented as a tragic figure who became symbolic of the metaphorical struggle between good and evil, and between childhood and adulthood, in British society. I demonstrate how certain key elements of Church's story adhere to the universal tale of the hero which recurs in myths and legends around the world, and argue that exploring the structural elements of such media stories is a useful way of understanding the continuing presence of the child star in Western culture.
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