Child play and toy two generations : '' Upon a childhood history ''

Abstract

The aim of this study is to define historical evolution of child play and toy within two generations in context of socio-economic and political conditions in Turkey. Due to this aim, two periods of time were determined. These time periods consist of 1950-1960: Government of Democrat Party and 1990-2000: Post 1980 period. The reason of deciding on these periods is that they were political, economic and cultural turning points in Republican Period. The period between 1950 and 1960 is young Republic’s passing to multiparty system from one-party state, meanwhile departing from its basic ideology; getting acquainted with American assistance and Marshall Plans and moreover, choosing its political side in the international area. 1950s also witnessed a mass migration from rural to urban areas and as a result, population growth and emergence of indigenous bourgeoisie in big cities. This period is also considered as changing perception in childhood. Between period 1990 and 2000, a new middle class emerged with free market economy and liberal values, state’s responsibility over public life decreased and the understanding of welfare state weakened. After the breakdown of USSR, United States turned into the biggest power in all areas and globalization was accepted without questioning. In communication field, one-channel broadcast left its place to multichannel broadcast; new technologies such as computer, internet, and mobile phone came into our lives. This short ten-year period changed the understanding of child, childhood and child play by means of human conception. In this study, oral history was used as methodology as oral history based on memory and testimony to gain a more complete or different understanding of a past experienced both individually and collectively (Bornat, 2004:35). Interviews were conducted in order to determine forms, types and structures of child plays and toys within specified periods and to analyze changes in the course of time. The sample of this study consisted of 20 narrators from two generations. Semi-structured interviews with the people between 60-65 and 20-25 ages were conducted in this study. The draft of semi-structured interview form was developed by researchers and than presented to expert view, necessary corrections were made. Video camera was used during the interviews and photographs were taken. On the other hand, after getting individual permission, narrators’ childhood photographs were taken and examined. Interview recordings were coded by the researchers individually to strengthen reliability of the research. The categories were ultimately generated after all data was analysed, and relevant categories were organized under the research questions.