Popular culture is everywhere. It spreads through media technologies such, as internet and television, but is also visible on our clothes, our toys, and in our daily conversations. Not least in children's everyday practices, popular culture is an important feature. At the same time, children's use of popular culture is often seen as problematic, with content that is deemed too commercialized or violent.
The majority of children in grades 1-3 and a substantial amount of children in grades 4-6 attend School-age Educare centers (fritidshem). School-age Educare is an institution that aim to give students meaningful leisure, and the teaching is based on students' interests, needs, and experiences. Here, children's influence and ability to decide over their time are important axpects. Students and staff use popular culture within the institution, ranging from Pokémon-beading patterns to Among Us games.
In my research, I aim to explore what happens when popular culture, children and pedagogical practice meet. How do students and staff engage with the possibilities and dilemmas of children's popular culture?