Henry Giroux's View On The Colonization Of Childhood

To understand Henry Giroux’s view on the intense colonization of childhood through massive corporations; readers must first understand how humans are socialized. Every social experience that an individual has holds special importance in the socialization process. Mass media are forms of communication aimed at a large audience. Such media has the potential to be influential forces on shaping people's opinions and ways of life. These same corporations also help in shaping the beliefs and ethics of individuals.

America is portrayed as a child-friendly society, but in actually, Americans are on the contrary to this notion. Henry Giroux explores the way that American culture shifts issues of capitalism onto children, confusing the separation between child and adult. In his argument Giroux points out three myths that contribute to corporate culture’s war on children. The first is the “the end of history,” (Giroux P.2). Under this myth citizens are thought to have no individual freedoms from norms, (P.2). The second myth is “childhood innocence,” under this myth children are in the purist form without much knowledge of the world, and in need of extreme protection from adults of said knowledge, (P.2). This essentially leaves children powerless and incapable of making their own discoveries. The final myth is “disinterested scholarship,” according to this myth; commercial culture is becoming the main targets of education instead of the dynamics of academics, (pg. 3).

In narrative context, Giroux contends the politics of innocence is racialized, sexualized, and gendered through the perspectives of white, middle-class, and privileged children. However, different children experience childhood in different ways. Politicians shed little lig...

... middle of paper ...

...is model of teaching leaves out the students from poor economic and social disadvantages. Failing to take into account that even if they receive the same education as someone from a middle-class background; these students still have to go home and deal with unfortunate circumstances.

The realm of education tends to shine a negative light on younger generations labeling them as menace to society and ultimately excluding them without fair opportunity. Every child is different; some may require more attention from teachers than others. Schools tend to forget this unique characteristic of human life once standardized testing and grading comes into the equation. Politicians are now placing the blame on the downfall of the economy on poor education techniques. Educational institutions in American have become so morph into the concept of standardized methods of learning