Agentic Subjects and Objects of Political Propaganda: Swedish Media Representations of Children in the Mobilization For Supporting Finland During World War II

Children are often portrayed as defenseless victims of war. However, during war periods, issues concerning children's agency are also brought to the fore. Based on media materials describing one country in war (Finland) and relief efforts from a neighbor country (Sweden), this article identifie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the history of childhood and youth Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 27 - 46
Main Authors: Sköld, Johanna, Söderlind, Ingrid
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press 2018
Subjects:
children
Children & youth
Childrens Attitudes
Fund Raising
Historians
Iconography
Labor unions
media
Medical Services
Politics
Primary Sources
Propaganda
Radio
Social Agencies
War
World War II
Sweden
United States > US
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics > USSR
Finland
ISSN:1939-6724, 1941-3599, 1941-3599
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Children are often portrayed as defenseless victims of war. However, during war periods, issues concerning children's agency are also brought to the fore. Based on media materials describing one country in war (Finland) and relief efforts from a neighbor country (Sweden), this article identifies both Finnish and Swedish children as committed to Finland's cause in different ways. The article shows that children emerge both as agentic subjects and as objects of political propaganda. It argues that children's commitment as represented in the Swedish media could function as propaganda pressuring adults to take action.
ISSN:1939-6724
1941-3599
1941-3599
DOI:10.1353/hcy.2018.0002