Today children are consumers and are addressed as such by companies and marketing actors. Advertising is targeted directly towards children, and many products are made with children in mind. Images of children are also used in advertising to entice adults to consume. I am interested in how this happens, how children are made visible and what these visual practices says about broader societal views of children. Advertising legislation, advertising aimed at children and products manufactured for younger audiences are all examples of my topics of study.
Profit-driven child care during the 20th century
Until recently my research has mainly touched on contemporary conditions. However, within the historical research project "Escape from shame or holiday from the family? The market for private infant homes and children's boarding houses 1915-1975" (VR 2017-01769) the 20th century private children's hotels (barnpensionat) and services for unmarried women to give birth secretly is being scrutinized.
Read more about the project via the link under "research" further down the page.
Children's own visual culture as heritage
In my research images and visuality are important subjects of interest. The project "Children's cultural heritage - the archive's visual voices" (VR 2020-03095) placed within the DIGARV research program has given the opportunity to deepen this interest further. The project, which is carried out in collaboration with the Swedish Archive of Children´s Art, highlight and develop methods and theories for the preservation of children's own culture as part of our wider cultural heritage. Questions about child produced pictures, how the archive catalogue and digitized preservation are examined here, in addition to questions concerning children's right to culture. My part is particularly focused on how pictures produced by children are viewed by other children and how child made pictures are used in research.
Read more about the project via the link under "research" further down the page.
