Romanian childhood: Performative identities on and off television

Abstract

Recreation and repetition of what Romanian children are expected to be, as well as their acts of individual agency, accomplish a sense of identity reconstructed in public narratives of childhood. Being a child is increasingly constituted by addressing notions of economic opportunities. TV performance is viewed as a process steeped in discursive and visual practices to be understood and continued in daily life. Performative stereotypes give new meanings to competition-style shows and news featuring underage characters. They are a major conduit for the consumption of identity-based narratives inextricably tied to children as driven individuals. Ultimately, Romanian children’s television advertises changing ideas about the future of the nation as related to the performance of childhood. This has consequences on and off-screen.