In recent years children have become an increasingly important consumer market, and there is growing concern about the 'commercialisation' of childhood. This book sheds light on these debates, offering new empirical data and challenging critical perspectives on children's engagement with consumer culture from a wide range of international settings.

Introduction; D.Buckingham  & V.Tingstad PART I: HISTORY OF CHILDREN'S CONSUMPTION Valves of Adult Desire: The Regulation and Incitement of Children's Consumption; G.Cross Proper Toys for Proper Children: A Case Study of the Norwegian Company A/S Riktige leker (Proper Toys); T.Korsvold The Books That Sing: The Marketing of Children's Phonograph Records, 1890-1930; J.Smith PART II: THEORY AND METHOD IN RESEARCH ON CHILDREN'S CONSUMPTION Commercial Enculturation: Moving Beyond Consumer Socialization; D.T.Cook Subjectivities of the Child Consumer: Beings and Becomings; B.Johansson Researching Things, Objects and Gendered Consumption in Childhood Studies; C.Mitchell PART III: PRACTICES OF CONTEMPORARY MARKETERS Children's Virtual Worlds: The Latest Commercialization of Children's Culture; J.Wasko   Creating Long-lasting Brand Loyalty – or a Passing 'Craze'? Lessons from a 'Child Classic' in Norway; I.Hagen  & Ø.Nakken The Cute, the Spectacle and the Practical: Narratives of New Parents and Babies at The Baby Show; L.Martens PART IV: SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF CHILDREN'S CONSUMPTION The Stuff at Mom's House and the Stuff at Dad's House: The Material Consumption of Divorce for Adolescents; C.Collins  & M.Janning The Dao of Consumer Socialization: Raising Children in the Chinese Consumer Revolution; R.Wærdahl 'Those Who Have Less Want More. But Does it Make Them Feel Bad?' Deprivation, Materialism and Self-Esteem in Childhood; A.Nairn, P.Bottomley  & J.Ormrod PART V: CHILDHOOD IDENTITIES AND CONSUMPTION Branded Selves: How Children Relate to Marketing on a Social Network Site; H.Skaar 'Hello – We're only in the Fifth Grade!!': Children's Rights, Intergenerationality and Constructions of Gender in Public Discourses about Childhood; M.Rysst 'One Meets Through Clothing': The Role of Fashion in the Identity Formation of Former Soviet Union Immigrant Youth in Israel; D.Lemish  & N.Elias

'Childhood and consumption scholars from all corners will find some reward in perusing this book for intellectual treasure.' - Children & Society 'This definitive text is enriching and informative.' - Power and Education "Childhood and Consumer Culture makes evident the vibrancy of studies in this field." - Journal of Consumer Culture