Growing Sideways in Twenty-first Century British Culture: Challenging boundaries between childhood and adulthood

This book explores the shifting boundaries between childhood and adulthood in British society and culture at the turn of the twenty-first century, challenging conventional ideas of growing up. It proposes the concept of "growing sideways" as a way to queer the grand narrative that privileges adulthood by destabilizing childhood and adulthood and the boundaries between them. The book examines twenty-first-century British children's literature, television series, film, and participatory events to explore power structures around age and gender and trace growing sideways as a distinct and important alternative discourse of human growth.

Format: Hardback
Length: 229 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2021
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Co

This comprehensive volume delves into the intricate dynamics of shifting boundaries between childhood and adulthood in British society and culture at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Where these age boundaries are hotly debated, enforced, and contested, the book seeks to explore alternative perspectives on the process of growing up. Drawing upon observations, particularly in children's literature criticism, that human development is intricately shaped by a grand narrative that privileges adulthood, and upon terminologies of non-normative growth, particularly in queer theory, the monograph develops the concept of "growing sideways" as a powerful tool to queer this dominant narrative by destabilizing childhood and adulthood, as well as the boundaries between them.

To refine and contextualize this concept, the book conducts close readings of twenty-first-century British children's literature, television series, film, and participatory events. Through these diverse sources, it employs specific strategies in three conceptual areas: appearance, play, and space, to challenge and redefine age boundaries. By examining power structures around age and gender, the monograph traces the emergence of "growing sideways" as a distinct and significant alternative discourse on human growth.

This volume offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between societal expectations, cultural norms, and individual experiences, shedding light on the ways in which we can reimagine and redefine the boundaries between childhood and adulthood. It serves as a thought-provoking exploration of the possibilities for growth and transformation in our ever-evolving world.

Weight: 570g
ISBN-13: 9789027210081