The formative power of children's literature is both great and suspicious. As a resource of socialization, the construction and experience of children's literature can be seen as modes of disciplinary coercion such as Michel Foucault has anatomized. "Harry Potter", as a "craze" phenomenon, has attracted particular…

This article compares everyday life in French and English Key Stage 1 classes. It draws on ethnographic research in both countries to compare the experience of school children in various situations, ranging from learning to active participation in the life of the class. It suggests that socialisation in French and English primary schools develops…