Back in the 1940s, Kenneth and Mamie Clark – a husband-and-wife team of psychology researchers – used dolls to investigate how young Black children viewed their racial identities. They found that given a choice between Black dolls and white dolls, most Black children preferred to play with white dolls. They ascribed positive characteristics to the white dolls but negative […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
What I learned when I recreated the famous ‘doll test’ that looked at how Black kids see race
These family climates that promote incest
Incest can be defined as sexual relations between very close relatives (people of the same family whose degree of kinship or alliance does not allow marriage, civil or religious). It is now banned in all societies where it represents one of the major foundations (see in particular the principle of exogamy ). The notion of incestual defined by Paul-Claude Racamier designates […] … learn more→
TikTok’s challenges put families on alert: Should we block the platform?
“A better Internet starts with you: more connected, more secure.” With this motto, Safe Internet Day 2021 is celebrated . This year we are all being asked, children and young people, families, teachers and schools, as well as companies and political leaders, to get involved in this task. The platforms are asked to create a better Internet, ensuring that there […] … learn more→
The hidden story of when two Black college students were tarred and feathered
One cold April night in 1919, at around 2 a.m., a mob of 60 rowdy white students at the University of Maine surrounded the dorm room of Samuel and Roger Courtney in Hannibal Hamlin Hall. The mob planned to attack the two Black brothers from Boston in retaliation for what a newspaper article described at the […] … learn more→
Education policies in England overlook bullying of LGBT+ pupils
Nearly half of LGBT+ pupils are bullied in school because of their gender or sexual orientation. In fact, LGBT+ bullying is the most common type of bullying in schools. Just 27% of secondary school pupils believe it would be safe to come out as LGBT+ in their schools. Despite this, a 2020 report shows that only one-fifth of secondary school students report […] … learn more→
Teen suicide prevention during COVID-19: How parents and kids can have honest and safe conversations
“School or no school, it won’t matter.” “Young people’s issues are minor compared to those of adults.” As researchers concerned with suicide prevention in youth, we sometimes hear people express sentiments like these about young people in the pandemic. But socialization is an important part of growing up. As much as COVID-19 has affected adults, […] … learn more→
Poet Amanda Gorman’s take on love as legacy points to youth’s power to shape future generations
National youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman’s recitation of “The Hill We Climb,” at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in the United States captured the attention of a nation and people globally. Gorman highlighted the power of poets in our current sociopolitical context to speak unique and timely truths, while tapping into larger literary traditions. Some commentators were […] … learn more→
It’s not just about the rise in anti-Semitism: why we need real stories for better Holocaust education in Australia
On January 27 communities worldwide commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz — the largest complex of concentration camps and extermination centres during the Holocaust. This is the first year the International Holocaust Remembrance Day will be marked nationally in Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will address the event, which demonstrates the importance the government ascribes […] … learn more→
Young people remain ill-equipped to participate in Australian democracy
Despite many young Australians having a deep interest in political issues, most teenagers have a limited understanding about their nation’s democratic system. Results from the 2019 National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship (NAP-CC) released today show the proportion of young people demonstrating the expected level of knowledge about topics such as democracy and government has […] … learn more→
There’s no such thing as ‘alternative facts’. 5 ways to spot misinformation and stop sharing it online
The blame for the recent assault on the US Capitol and President Donald Trump’s broader dismantling of democratic institutions and norms can be laid at least partly on misinformation and conspiracy theories. Those who spread misinformation, like Trump himself, are exploiting people’s lack of media literacy — it’s easy to spread lies to people who […] … learn more→