Tiny happy people? Brain building and the ‘word gap’

Green, Lorette 2024. Tiny happy people? Brain building and the ‘word gap’. Families, Relationships and Societies. 13 (3), pp. 426-441. https://doi.org/10.1332/204674322x16690225350137

TitleTiny happy people? Brain building and the ‘word gap’
TypeJournal article
AuthorsGreen, Lorette
AbstractPresently and historically, working-class mothers have been positioned as problematic. Their children’s low attainment is blamed on perceived deficiencies in their parenting. Tied to this, the concept of the ‘word gap’ has been used to demonstrate a language deficit, which it is claimed leads to working-class children starting school behind their middle-class peers. These concepts are central tenets to the BBC’s Tiny Happy People website which was analysed to ascertain current ‘good’ mothering discourses. This critical discourse analysis considers the authorship of the website and the BBC’s status as commissioning editor, alongside its key concept: addressing the word gap. Tiny Happy People’s target audience are parents from lower socioeconomic groups. Together with the content of the website, this framing will be used to consider Tiny Happy People’s approach to the perceived problem and how that may affect working-class mothers.
KeywordsSociology and Political Science
JournalFamilies, Relationships and Societies
Journal citation13 (3), pp. 426-441
ISSN2046-7435
2046-7443
Year2024
PublisherBristol University Press
Accepted author manuscript
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1332/204674322x16690225350137
Publication dates
Published online02 Jan 2023
Published in print2024
Page range1-16

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