"The End" Author: [US] Hilary Friedman Publisher: Guangdong People's Publishing House

【Editor's recommendation】

No one would deny their child the opportunity to succeed, and no one would risk not allowing their child to participate in competitive activities.

Field research + adult interviews + child interviews, childhood competition capital × class fanaticism × industrial structure

★ Go beyond criticism and analyze the rational mechanism behind the "chicken baby" phenomenon;

★ Participate in the scene and listen to the voices of parents and children themselves;

★In-depth analysis reveals the industrial structure that drives childhood competition.

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【Content Introduction】

Wan Xiang·Work No. 005

Why do competitions and extracurricular interest classes fill the lives of young children? Why are even the busiest families willing to invest a lot of time in this? With such questions in mind, American sociologist and education researcher Hilary Friedman conducted a comprehensive sociological survey of nearly 100 families, using chess, dance and football as examples, combining data from field observations, adult interviews and child interviews. "The End" not only combs through the historical development of children's competitive extracurricular activities, analyzes the motivations and purposes of parents enrolling their children in interest classes and participating in competitive activities, but also reveals a complex and sophisticated industrial structure behind the competitive culture of childhood.

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【Recommended by media and experts】

Impressive...This study is critical reading for parents and educators concerned with how American ideas about success and failure filter down to the next generation.

——Publishers Weekly

This perceptive, well-researched, and clearly written examination of the history and workings of competitive children's activities in three different arenas is a must-read for anyone interested in extracurricular activities and the future prospects of the children who participate in them.

——Children's Brain Magazine

Considering that young children also face considerable competitive pressure and need to make comprehensive preparations for admission to prestigious universities and engaging in lucrative careers, "Fighting to the End" is a very timely and inspiring study... Non-professional readers who have read "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" and "Free Range Children" will definitely be interested in this book.

——Library Journal

"The End of the Race" is an important social science work that breaks the boundaries of academic research and popular criticism. Hilary Friedman successfully explains how the American middle and upper classes view their children's participation in extracurricular competitive activities. She listens to the voices of parents and children, reveals the tension, mechanism, pros and cons of childhood competitive activities, and provides scholars and parents with a necessary perspective.

—Gary Allen Fine, Professor of Sociology, Northwestern University

The world of childhood in the 21st century has welcomed an outstanding interpreter. With brilliant arguments and detailed evidence, Hilary Friedman's "Driving to the End" introduces us to one of the most eye-catching and innovative studies in contemporary America: the study of the social mechanisms of children's competitive extracurricular activities. It has made outstanding contributions to both cultural sociology and social inequality.

--Viviana Zelizer, professor of sociology at Princeton University and author of The Priceless Child

About the Author