Children in the Consumer Economy

09/08/2004

Children in the Consumer Economy

"The pleasure we derive from doing favors is partly in the feeling it gives us that we are not altogether worthless. It is a pleasant surprise to ourselves." - Eric Hoffer in The Passionate State of Mind

Children in the Consumer Economy

In a Beginnings article, "From 'I Want It!' to 'I Can Do It!' Promoting Healthy Development in the Consumer Culture," in the upcoming September 2004 issue of Exchange, Diane Levin provides ideas on how centers and parents can empower children in a consumer culture. She opens by observing why children's allies must be vigilant...

"Issues relating to consumer culture are not addressed in early childhood curriculum programs or in teacher preparation. Yet, marketing efforts that focus on getting children to covet one new object after another are playing an increasingly central role in their early socialization and development. There is growing awareness that consumer culture influences the ideas children develop about what is good and bad and what constitutes success and failure. It influences their ideas about how to look, what to eat, and what to play and play with. It influences the job of parenting, for instance, setting up power struggles about what to buy and not to buy as well as struggles over values."

This article has been selected by Kay Albrecht as the basis of her latest Out of the Box Training Kit. To learn about and purchase this new kit, go to: http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/0394

More Out of the Box News

In addition to the Consumer Culture Out of the Box Kit, the following new Out of the Box Training Kits are also now available for sale at http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/0396

"Using your Senses to Adapt Environments"
"How Do I Relate and Share Professionally?"
"Family Conferencing: Developing Trust"

Those wanting to learn more about the Out of the Box Training Kits will also be glad to know that there is a complete free sample copy of an Out of the Box Training Kit in the center of this same September 2004 issue of Exchange. Check it out...Give it a road test.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.