Understanding children as consumers

Kathy Hamilton reviews "Understanding children as consumers" which takes as its starting point the active role that children play within consumer culture, focusing primarily on children between 8 and 12 years old. David Marshall has edited a collection derived from a mixed set of disciplines including marketing, consumer research, developmental, applied and social psychology, modern history and organisation studies. It is split into four sections covering children as consumers, encountering marketing, kids' stuff and looking forward. Hamilton concludes that there is a range of interesting and relevant material presented. However, given the overall aim of the book, there would have been potential for more of the chapters to emphasise children's experiences in the marketplace from their perspective, to gain a greater understanding of children's agency within the consumption arena.