Youth Fantasies is a collection of studies conducted in cross-cultural collaboration over the past ten years that theorizes 'youth fantasy'; as manifested through the media of TV, film, and computer games. Unlike other media studies and education books, the authors employ both Lacanian and Kleinian psychoanalytic concepts to attempt to make sense of teen culture and the influence of mass media. The collection includes case studies of X-Files fans, the influence of computer games and the 'Lara Croft' phenomenon, and the reception of Western television by Tanzanian youth. The authors see this book as a much needed reconciliation between cultural studies and Lacanian psychoanalysis, and attempt to highlight why Lacan is important to note when exploring youth fantasy and interest in the media, especially in shows like X-Files .

About the Author
JAN JAGODZINSKI is a Professor in the Department of Secondary Education, University of Alberta. He is the author of Pedagogical Desire: Authority, Seduction, Transference, and the Question of Ethics and Postmodern Dilemmas: Outrageous Essays in Art & Art Education.

Reviews

'Provides rich insights for educators and counsellors so that no one concerned with youth or interested in Lacanian theory or postmodernity can afford to do without.' - Mark Bracher, Kent State University, USA

Book Information
ISBN 9781403961655
Author Jan Jagodzinski
Format Paperback
Page Count 281
Imprint Palgrave Macmillan
Publisher Palgrave USA