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cover of episode Jennifer Crane, "'Gifted Children' in Britain and the World: Elitism and Equality Since 1945" (Oxford UP, 2025)

Jennifer Crane, "'Gifted Children' in Britain and the World: Elitism and Equality Since 1945" (Oxford UP, 2025)

2025/6/13
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Jenny Crane: 我选择研究“天才儿童”这个话题，最初是因为它与我之前研究的福利国家、儿童权益等议题相关。在报纸上偶然看到关于Horlicks麦芽饮料的广告，宣传该产品可以帮助“天才儿童”平静和培养，这引起了我的兴趣。我开始思考，智力超群的人是否具有独特的个性和身体特征，这既有趣又奇怪。更重要的是，我意识到研究这个话题不仅有趣，而且从社会角度来看也更具先见性和重要性。我们为什么要寻找智力，寻找天赋？这种行为会包含和排除哪些人？这些问题都促使我深入研究这个话题。

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This chapter explores the elusive definition of 'gifted children,' highlighting the varying criteria used for identification, from intelligence tests to subjective observations by professionals and parents. The wide range of interpretations shows how this label is socially constructed and flexible, impacting different groups.
  • The definition of 'gifted children' is highly variable and subjective.
  • Multiple methods of assessment exist, including intelligence tests and qualitative observations.
  • The label is applied based on perceived high intelligence and potential need for special treatment.

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Who are 'gifted' children? In ‘Gifted Children’ in Britain and the World: Elitism and Equality since 1945) Jennifer Crane, a senior lecturer in the School of Geographical Sciences at the University of Bristol) (Oxford UP, 2025) tells the social and cultural history of this category of young people. The book charts the individuals, organisations, policymakers, and media activities that aimed to identify children as ‘gifted’, lobbying for their social status and the potential benefit they might bring to both the UK and the rest of the world. At the same time, the book critically assesses the idea of 'gifted' children being closely intertwined with a range of social inequalities, reflecting Britain’s broader class, race, gender and disability hierarchies. Most crucially, the book draws on children’s voices, foregrounding their experiences of understanding, embracing, and resisting the 'gifted' label. At a time of renewed public debates over social and cultural hierarchies, the book is essential reading across the humanities and social sciences. It is available open access here).

Jennifer Crane is lecturer in health geographies at the School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, working at the intersection of history, geography, and sociologies of health.

*Dave O'Brien) is Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries, at the University of Manchester.*

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