Children as Bearers of Hope for a Future Society

Eberhardt, Verena Marie (21. November 2022): Children as Bearers of Hope for a Future Society. Religious Diversity in Media for Children. Childhood Studies and Religion Unit, American Academy of Religion (AAR), Denver, 19.-22.11.2022.

Abstract

The presentation focuses on the interface between concepts of childhood, media for children and ideas of knowledge about religion: How are religions and religious diversity represented in children’s media? What does knowledge about religion even mean? And what ideas of childhood do children’s media suggest? The working hypothesis is that media explicitly produced for children express images of society and are characterised by imaginations of ideals of living together. At the same time, children’s media reflect imaginations of children and childhood consciously and unintentionally. The paper contributes to the Study of Childhood in the field of religion by analysing how young people are conceived in German-language media, what is expected from them and how knowledge about religion should be conveyed to children. It states the importance of literature and (audio-)visual productions in the mediation of knowledge, self-concepts, interpersonal perceptions and normative paradigms.

• Item Type: Speech
• Keywords: childood; childhood studies; religion; media; representation
• Faculties: Protestant Theology > Institute of Study of Religion
• Subjects: 200 Religion > 200 Religion; 200 Religion > 290 Other religions
• Language: English