The hidden power of children in Christmas traditions
Unveiling the role of secrecy and agency
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2248178 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Martí Torra‐merin (0000-0001-5568-3724, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 3-5 |
| Publication date | 2023-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Anthropology Today (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0268-540X • E-ISSN: 1467-8322 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1467-8322.12845 |
| OpenAlex | W4390014319 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 16 |
The standard narrative surrounding Christmas figures like Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men often portrays children as passive recipients of adult-orchestrated illusions. This perspective overlooks the active role that children play in sustaining these traditions. Drawing on a study conducted in Catalonia, Spain, and existing literature, this article challenges the conventional wisdom by using the lens of secrecy theory to explore how children exercise their agency. It argues that children are not just passive actors but essential participants whose understanding of secrecy contributes to the perpetuation of these cultural figures
Aesthetics · Art · Cognitive psychology · Epistemology · Illusion · Literature · Narrative · Political science · Secrecy · Social science · Sociology · Visual arts · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · History · Law · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Philosophy · Psychology · Rhetoric and Communication Studies
Pricing the priceless child
Centuries of childhood
Young children as theory makers and co-creators of cultural practices
Socializing children into pop culture
Towards a Theory of Santa
Imaginary figures of early childhood
Defacement
Homo ludens
The teacher doesn't know what it is, but she knows where we are
Interrogating innocence
Ritual and Knowledge Among the Baktaman of New Guinea
Christmas
Secrecy
How (not) to talk about adoption
On Secrecy, Disclosure, the Public, and the Private in Anthropology
The Sociology of Secrecy and of Secret Societies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |