Toys with Historical References as Part of a Material Culture: An Ethnographic Study on Children's Bedrooms

Abstract : This paper explores the dimension of toys as part of a historical culture approaching the relationship that children have with the past and with their own past in the form of toys. An Austrian ethnographic research on children's bedrooms in the age between 8 to 11 years can bring a realistic insight to the realm of toys currently used and keepsakes with historical references. The main aim of this study, which is part of a larger project in history education on the private use of public history, is to understand children's lifeworld as informal learning environment. A case study will proof this.