Stealing Innocence

by Henry A. Giroux

"Stealing Innocence is a methodically designed portrait of the increasing elimination of childhood for modern American youth. Giroux, a prolific social critic regarding issues of the late twentieth century, analyzes the proselytizing of corporations toward children. In the first half of the book, he uses the vivid imagery of beauty pageants for young girls, the onset of the visual appeal of the "heroin chic" look by Calvin Klein and other fashion industry leaders, and corporate logo placement in the school systems. The use of secondhand sources helps Giroux prove his point that children today are overinundated with outside influences that coerce young people to face adulthood too early in their lifetimes, thereby forcing traditional childhood concerns to the wayside. In the second half of the book, he looks to social theorists Antonio Gramsci, Paolo Freire, and Stuart Hall to demonstrate the potential to return to earlier methods of raising children. Although at times Giroux's words ma