Children, Politics and Communication

Even after 20 years of children's rights and new thinking about childhood, children are still frequently seen as apolitical. All over the world there has been a growing emphasis on 'participation', but much of this is adult-led, and spaces for children's individual and collective autonomy are restricted. "Children, Politics and Communication" questions many of the conventional ways in which children are perceived. It focuses on the politics of children's communication in two senses: children as political actors and the micro-politics of children's interaction with each other and with adults. It is about how children and young people communicate and engage, how they organise themselves and their lives, and how they deal with conflict in their relationships and the world around them. These are children at the margins - in communities in revolt in rural Mexico, growing up in Chinese families in England, isolated at home with ME, living under occupation in Palestine, negotiating their way through the UK asylum system. But they are not victims; these are children taking charge of their lives - running 'kid's clubs' in Nepal, linking with each other on websites, learning to manage disagreements, defending their national identity. The book is also about adults and how they can interact effectively with children and young people, both on an individual and societal level, in ways that are sensitive to their feelings and empowering and supportive of their attempts to be autonomous. With international contributions from a range of different disciplines, "Children, Politics and Communication" is timely and relevant for policy makers, practitioners and researchers engaging with children and young people.