Tiny human geographies: babies and toddlers as non-representational and barely human life?

Holt, L. and Philo, C. (2023) Tiny human geographies: babies and toddlers as non-representational and barely human life? Children's Geographies, 21(5), pp. 819-831. (doi: 10.1080/14733285.2022.2130684)

Abstract

We question the relative absence of babies and toddlers in geographies of children and youth, while also acknowledging what may be signs of a new subfield in the making. We argue that there is an exciting opportunity here because babies and toddlers are at the crux of what it is to be human, raising potent questions about exactly ‘what kinds of human’ are they? We argue that babies are the ultimate non-representational, in certain respects barely-human, subjects who express their agencies in non-verbal ways. Toddlers too are disruptive to the socio-spatial order, and their disruption exposes the normative expectations of behaviour in place. Close attention to these tiny humans and their ‘micro-geographies’ provides insight into ‘lines of flight’ that configure our studies, and maybe even our worlds, otherwise.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Philo, Professor Christopher
• Authors: Holt, L., and Philo, C.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
• Journal Name: Children's Geographies
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 1473-3285
• ISSN (Online): 1473-3277
• Published Online: 18 October 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Author(s)
• First Published: First published in Children's Geographies 21(5):819-831
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license