Children's Atlases and Geopolitics
Date
2016
Authors
Hann, Deborah G.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education
Abstract
This research investigates the geopolitical messages carried within a collection of children's atlases and explores the implications these messages have for influencing their young readers' mental maps and perceptions of the world. A qualitative and quantitative content analysis of text and images in these atlases illuminates how different countries and regions are portrayed. The perpetuation of an "us" versus "them" narrative in many of the atlases, which problematizes some regions or countries more than others, underlines the need for further analysis of geographic information sources intended for children. This kind of analysis is particularly important because atlases and other sources of geographic information aimed at children often receive little scrutiny, despite being intended for an audience who is at a developmental stage when their mental maps are still forming and evolving.
Description
Keywords
geography, atlases, children's atlases, geopolitics, geographic education
Citation
Hann, D.G. (2016). Children's atlases and geopolitics. Research in Geographic Education, 18(1), pp. 57-73.