Britannia's children: reading colonialism through children's books and magazines

In: Studies in imperialism

Abstract

An introduction to the "imperial" images of the Indian, African and Chinese - created for the youth of Britain through their history textbooks and popular periodicals. Focusing on materials produced for children, by textbook historians and the popular press, it provides a study of both the socialization of the young and the source of race perceptions in 20th-century British society. By study of the characterization of the "other", shaped in this era, one can see how the young learned both the lessons of imperial allegiance and a perception of racial difference which would influence many generations to follow. This book shows how society secures the rising generation in the beliefs of the parent society, and how the myths of race and nationality became an integral part of Britain's own process of self identification.