Narrowing the field of children in history to a specific research question is something that I am finding to be incredibly difficult. After the lengthy amount of time spent reading and discussing various research ideas in class, the only definite conclusion that I have come to is that there are too many aspects of childhood that I find interesting, and that only when forced can I limit myself to specific areas.
Topic Ideas:
1. Kids and PBS: How has Public broadcasting with programs like "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," and "Barney" impacted today's youth; Discussing the past of PBS as well as making assertions about its future
2. Kids and the Disney Empire: Is there a direct correlation between the endlessly developing ideas about youth and adolescence and the progression of the Disney empire, from what its founder Walt Disney originally envisioned to the disney of today?
3. Child Actors: By allowing children to take on more and more time consuming roles in TV and film is society stripping them of their childhood and more importantly is it exposing child actors to adult issues sooner then they have the life tools to handle them?
4. Kids and Gender Roles: How and to what extent has the instilling of gender roles from birth changed and developed in the last century?
5. Kids and Technology: What role does and has technology played in the lives of children and what possible long term effects will there be as a result of this growing emphasis?
6. Kids and Food: A comparison of dietary and fitness statistics between generations of American children in the past and the children of today.
7. Kids and Horror: How does the incorporation of a child into horror films affect the work's fear factor?
8. Kids as Consumers: How of clothes and toys developes the late 20th century to now to increase and reflect the idea of children as consumers?
9. KIds and athletics: At what point and to what degree have parents assumed the importance of incorporating sports into the lives of their childeren? Where and Why did this come about?
10. Kids and Manners: Has society unintentionally deemphasized the importance of respectful and polite termenology between children and adults in everyday life? If so what are potential lasting effects?
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