Capitalist Childhoods, Anti–Capitalist Children : Childhood In and Against Capitalism

Exploring the meaning of children's experiences as players, learners and workers under capitalism

As we grow up, we move from a life full of play to one dictated by labour. But what is the nature of play under capitalism? Here, Susan Ferguson argues that play is not just 'kids being kids'—it is a vital part of how our world and our lives are made and remade. While our society treats play as a cornerstone of childhood, the system demands workers, not dreamers. Child’s Play traces how kindergartens and playgrounds have served as the front lines of this tension since the late nineteenth century, channelling the intimacy of play towards narrow, productive, instrumental ends. Yet, the absence of these very spaces in many racialised and colonised communities highlights a stark reality: certain children are considered unworthy of developing beyond childhood. Ferguson shows how children and what we learn from their imagination may hold the key to overturning capitalism.