ABSTRACT
Just as Said (1996) has discussed regarding orientalism, a “corporate institution” has been constituted for dealing with those who are younger (p. 21). The corporate institution of child has inscribed ways of speaking about younger human beings, as well as cultivating ways of viewing, describing, teaching, representing, and ruling over them, ways of constituting ideal citizens for the Empire. Disregarding diverse ideas and voices, especially perspectives held by those labeled as children, corporate structures are now in place that maintain and even foster control. In this chapter, we explain these structures by examining: (1) the emergence of the human science disciplines that have created those who refer to themselves as expert researchers and practitioners regarding knowledge about human beings, (2) the inscription of particular predetermined characteristics on those who are younger as normal, rational, and developmental (e.g., needy, immature, innocent); (3) the overall legitimization of the rights of particular groups to observe, judge, and intervene into the lives of others; and (4) contemporary forms of representation that reinscribe colonialist power over the youngest of citizens.
