ABSTRACT
This chapter utilizes Michel Foucault's theories to seek out the systems and structures which turn certain constructions of childhood into everyday common thought and practice. It examines different discourses of childhood and of the child, arguing that these are never neutral, in spite of appearing so. Education is a structured form of discipline and governance, and thus, education is always already concerned with shaping children into the correct kind of adult. Moreover, modern conceptions of education prioritise certain versions of adulthood over others, signifying the correct pathways for children. The modern child is arguably produced by "consumer culture and media culture"; within this, children have gained economic power within their 'own right'. The chapter provides the background to the principles and ideas that are still part of common discourse in education and that contribute to the normalisation of the natural child and child development.
