A Research Agenda to Examine the Political Economy of Digital Childhood
Authors
Professor Julian Sefton-Green
Chief Investigator and Connected Child Co-Leader
Deakin University
Professor Michael Dezuanni
Chief Investigator
QUT
Dr Luci Pangrazio
Chief Investigator
Deakin University
Volume/Number
2022-06Date published
16 August, 2022Abstract
This review investigates how the historical concept of a political economy of childhood might be usefully applied to children growing up in the digital age with a view to establishing an innovative research agenda. The review first defines what a political economy of digital childhood has meant historically in order to map working definitions. It then characterises research into the differing political economies of:
- communications and the media
- children and consumerism,
- digital consumption,
- and the family and education to see how such traditions might be either brought together or kept apart.
It argues that the research arena of digital childhood sits at a confluence of these academic research traditions bringing together studies of the political economy of the media and of childhood. The paper then reviews contemporary research into the political economy of digital childhood and concludes by offering areas for further research and enquiry structured around the key themes of: markets; institutions and platforms; and value.
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Series type
'Discussion' series looking at conceptual challenges and aimed at the scholarly communityDOI
https://doi.org/10.26187/ae09-g889Suggested citation
Sefton-Green, J., Dezuanni, M., & Pangrazio, L., 2022 A Research Agenda to Examine the Political Economy of Digital Childhood. Digital Child Working Paper 2022-06, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Brisbane, AustraliaView all working papers