Propaganda In Children’s Games.

This dissertation identifies and analyses propaganda in games for children. A case study of games in the National Socialism context interprets examples of influential games and the development of manufacturers during the Second World War. An outlook on today’s toy market studies the ongoing influence of recent games regarding the increase of patriotism. The research questions are answered through qualitative research, including case studies and content analysis. Games are defined as propaganda if they have a political influence on the child, e.g. militarisation, nationalism or globalisation. The high effect of games on children is explained with several theories on how they play and learn. Games are an important part of their identity and help them to try out life plans and build their personalities. Play prepares them for reality. The ideas of play can be influenced by the material offered. Children are easy to influence and may adapt the views throughout their life. The disadvantage is that children cannot process as much information or understand political topics in their full complexity. The propaganda has to be specifically designed for the age group. Theories about propaganda and ideology are also applied. Tuch’s (1990) theory of white, grey and black propaganda is the key theory. Most games are identified as grey propaganda, as they have a manipulative effect without falsifying information or sources. The toy market shows changes with the political situation, e.g. a militarisation in the product range before a war. This dissertation offers ideas on research about the media handling of children