Abstract
This essay reflects upon a particular moment at the end of Chris Philo’s Children’s Geographies lecture (see Philo 2016), when discussion turned to cuddly toys. I recall a particular mood constituted in and by this moment: of apparent bashfulness, hesitancy, things-left-unsaid, and disinclination to discuss cuddly toys within the space of an academic conference. I suggest that this incident might be understood as indicative of three sets of silences which, still, characterise a great deal of work within the fantastically vibrant subdisciplines of Children’s Geographies and Cultural Geographies. This argument is accompanied by photographic portraits of three particular toys: Angus, Arnold and the B.B.D. I hope that the presence of these portraits helps bring to the surface something of the often-silenced geographies – of memories, affects, intimacies and vulnerabilities, of play, fun and care, and of material and popular cultures – upon which my argument is focused.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 446-454 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Children's Geographies |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 31 Mar 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 4 Jul 2018 |
Keywords
- Children’s geographies
- Philo
- cuddly toys
- memories
- play
- popular culture