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Media representations of early human development: Protecting, feeding and loving the developing brain

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  • O'Connor, Cliodhna
  • Joffe, Helene

Abstract

The public profile of neurodevelopmental research has expanded in recent years. This paper applies social representations theory to explore how early brain development was represented in the UK print media in the first decade of the 21st century. A thematic analysis was performed on 505 newspaper articles published between 2000 and 2010 that discussed early brain development. Media coverage centred around concern with ‘protecting’ the prenatal brain (identifying threats to foetal neurodevelopment), ‘feeding’ the infant brain (indicating the patterns of nutrition that enhance brain development) and ‘loving’ the young child's brain (elucidating the developmental significance of emotionally nurturing family environments). The media focused almost exclusively on the role of parental action in promoting optimal neurodevelopment, rarely acknowledging wider structural, cultural or political means of supporting child development. The significance of parental care was intensified by deterministic interpretations of critical periods, which implied that inappropriate parental input would produce profound and enduring neurobiological impairments. Neurodevelopmental research was also used to promulgate normative judgements concerning the acceptability of certain gender roles and family contexts. The paper argues that media representations of neurodevelopment stress parental responsibility for shaping a child's future while relegating the contributions of genetic or wider societal factors, and examines the consequences of these representations for society and family life.

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  • O'Connor, Cliodhna & Joffe, Helene, 2013. "Media representations of early human development: Protecting, feeding and loving the developing brain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 297-306.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:97:y:2013:i:c:p:297-306
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.09.048
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Racine, Eric & Waldman, Sarah & Rosenberg, Jarett & Illes, Judy, 2010. "Contemporary neuroscience in the media," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(4), pages 725-733, August.
    2. Choudhury, Suparna & McKinney, Kelly A. & Merten, Moritz, 2012. "Rebelling against the brain: Public engagement with the ‘neurological adolescent’," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 565-573.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tatiana Breder Emerich & Aline Guio Cavaca & Edson Theodoro Santos-Neto & Victor Israel Gentilli & Adauto Emmerich Oliveira, 2017. "Media Valuations of Health Journalism and Health Dynamics in Brazilian Printed Media," International Journal of Social Science Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 5(1), pages 31-42, January.
    2. Broer, Tineke & Pickersgill, Martyn, 2015. "Targeting brains, producing responsibilities: The use of neuroscience within British social policy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 54-61.
    3. Koffman, Ofra, 2015. "Fertile bodies, immature brains?: A genealogical critique of neuroscientific claims regarding the adolescent brain and of the global fight against adolescent motherhood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 255-261.

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