Chris Richards – författare

This book explores ‘young adult’ fictions – stories about being young, staying young and sometimes never wanting to grow up. Looking at controversial novels by Francesca Lia Block, at sex and ‘race’ in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and at the online world of fans and censors, Chris Richards argues that attempts to classify and regulate what counts as ‘young adult’ have failed, and shows how youth – as intense, exciting and tormented – draws audiences unconstrained by age. Throughout the book, the narratives of life as lived by the young emerge as the stuff of the ‘self’ – made and remade in reading, watching and listening. Fascinating and accessible, Forever Young will be of particular interest to students and teachers concerned with contemporary popular culture in cultural, media, literature and education studies courses.

The result of a unique research project exploring the relationship between children's vernacular play cultures and their media-based play, this collection challenges two popular misconceptions about children's play: that it is depleted or even dying out and that it is threatened by contemporary media such as television and computer games. A key element in the research was the digitization and analysis of Iona and Peter Opie's sound recordings of children's playground and street games from the 1970s and 1980s. This framed and enabled the research team's studies both of the Opies' documents of mid-twentieth-century play culture and, through a two-year ethnographic study of play and games in two primary school playgrounds, contemporary children's play cultures. In addition the research included the use of a prototype computer game to capture playground games and the making of a documentary film. Drawing on this extraordinary data set, the volume poses three questions: What do these hitherto unseen sources reveal about the games, songs and rhymes the Opies and others collected in the mid-twentieth century? What has happened to these vernacular forms? How are the forms of vernacular play that are transmitted in playgrounds, homes and streets transfigured in the new media age? In addressing these questions, the contributors reflect on the changing face of childhood in the twenty-first century - in relation to questions of gender and power and with attention to the children's own participation in producing the ethnographic record of their lives.

The result of a unique research project exploring the relationship between children's vernacular play cultures and their media-based play, this collection challenges two popular misconceptions about children's play: that it is depleted or even dying out and that it is threatened by contemporary media such as television and computer games. A key element in the research was the digitization and analysis of Iona and Peter Opie's sound recordings of children's playground and street games from the 1970s and 1980s. This framed and enabled the research team's studies both of the Opies' documents of mid-twentieth-century play culture and, through a two-year ethnographic study of play and games in two primary school playgrounds, contemporary children's play cultures. In addition the research included the use of a prototype computer game to capture playground games and the making of a documentary film. Drawing on this extraordinary data set, the volume poses three questions: What do these hitherto unseen sources reveal about the games, songs and rhymes the Opies and others collected in the mid-twentieth century? What has happened to these vernacular forms? How are the forms of vernacular play that are transmitted in playgrounds, homes and streets transfigured in the new media age? In addressing these questions, the contributors reflect on the changing face of childhood in the twenty-first century - in relation to questions of gender and power and with attention to the children's own participation in producing the ethnographic record of their lives.

This book explores ‘young adult’ fictions – stories about being young, staying young and sometimes never wanting to grow up. Looking at controversial novels by Francesca Lia Block, at sex and ‘race’ in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and at the online world of fans and censors, Chris Richards argues that attempts to classify and regulate what counts as ‘young adult’ have failed, and shows how youth – as intense, exciting and tormented – draws audiences unconstrained by age. Throughout the book, the narratives of life as lived by the young emerge as the stuff of the ‘self’ – made and remade in reading, watching and listening. Fascinating and accessible, Forever Young will be of particular interest to students and teachers concerned with contemporary popular culture in cultural, media, literature and education studies courses.

Young People, Popular Culture and Education explores the inter-relationship between the three fields and considers how these relationships have informed teaching practice, especially in the school context. Reflective exercises, interviews, chapter summaries and useful websites will encourage and support student learning and the application of new concepts. Recent debates and developments are considered, including: Culture and youth; New youth research; 'Race' and representation; Children and television; Young adult fictions; Popular music, youth and education; and, Youth, politics, citizenship. "Young People, Popular Culture and Education" is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students on education studies and related courses. This series presents an authoritative, coherent and focused collection of texts to introduce the contemporary issues that are covered in Education Studies, and related programmes. Each book develops a key theme in contemporary education, such as: Multiculturalism; The social construction of childhood; Urban education; eLearning and multimedia; and, Language and literacy.A key feature of this series is the critical exploration of education in times of rapid change, with links made between such developments in wider social, cultural, political and economic contexts. Further, contextualised extracts from important primary texts, such as Bourdieu, Piaget and Vygotsky, will ensure students' exposure to dominant contemporary theories in the field of education. Grounded in a strong conceptual, theoretical framework and presented in an accessible way with the use of features such as case studies, activities and visual devices to encourage and support student learning and the application of new concepts, this series will serve well as collection of core texts for the Education Studies student and lecturer.

"Young People, Popular Culture and Education" explores the inter-relationship between the three fields and considers how these relationships have informed teaching practice, especially in the school context. Reflective exercises, interviews, chapter summaries and useful websites will encourage and support student learning and the application of new concepts. Recent debates and developments are considered, including: Culture and youth; New youth research; 'Race' and representation; Children and television; Young adult fictions; Popular music, youth and education; and Youth, politics, and citizenship. "Young People, Popular Culture and Education" is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students on education studies and related courses. This series presents an authoritative, coherent and focused collection of texts to introduce the contemporary issues that are covered in Education Studies, and related programmes. Each book develops a key theme in contemporary education, such as: Multiculturalism; The social construction of childhood; Urban education; eLearning and multimedia; and, Language and literacy.This is a key feature of this series is the critical exploration of education in times of rapid change, with links made between such developments in wider social, cultural, political and economic contexts. Further, contextualised extracts from important primary texts, such as Bourdieu, Piaget and Vygotsky, will ensure students' exposure to dominant contemporary theories in the field of education. Grounded in a strong conceptual, theoretical framework and presented in an accessible way with the use of features such as case studies, activities and visual devices to encourage and support student learning and the application of new concepts, this series will serve well as collection of core texts for the Education Studies student and lecturer.

Relating to both the practice of teaching media studies and also to theoretical questions within media and cultural studies, this study examines pop music, media studies and the micro-cultural politics of adolescence. It argues that media education has neglected pop music, and that, as something of enormous significance in the lives of young people, it merits a serious place in the field.; The author provides accounts of media studies in action, including detailed accounts of classroom discussions, interviews with students and teachers, examples of students' work and their biographical reflections. He links this to broader debates both within cultural studies and around the place of pop music in young people's lives.; "Teen Spirits" should be of interest to students of media and cultural studies, as well as to practicing teachers, and readers with an interest in questions of youth and identity.

Relating to both the practice of teaching media studies and also to theoretical questions within media and cultural studies, this study examines pop music, media studies and the micro-cultural politics of adolescence. It argues that media education has neglected pop music, and that, as something of enormous significance in the lives of young people, it merits a serious place in the field.; The author provides accounts of media studies in action, including detailed accounts of classroom discussions, interviews with students and teachers, examples of students' work and their biographical reflections. He links this to broader debates both within cultural studies and around the place of pop music in young people's lives.; "Teen Spirits" should be of interest to students of media and cultural studies, as well as to practicing teachers, and readers with an interest in questions of youth and identity.