Australian National University.
Third World Q. 2011;32(4):725-42. doi: 10.1080/01436597.2011.567005.
This article examines the (re)presentations of militarised children in contemporary global politics. In particular, it looks at the iconic image of the 21st century's child soldier, the subject of which is constructed as a menacing yet pitiable product of the so-called new wars of the global South. Yet this familiar image is a small, one-dimensional and selective (re)presentation of the issues facing children who are associated with conflict and militarism. In this sense it is a problematic focal point for analysing the insecurity and human rights of children in and around conflict. Instead, this article argues that the image of the child soldier asserts an important influence in its effect upon global North-South relations. It demonstrates how the image of the child soldier can assist in constructing knowledge about the global South, and the global North's obligations to it, either through programmes of humanitarianism, or through war.
本文探讨了当代全球政治中军事化儿童的（再）表现。特别是，它研究了 21 世纪儿童兵的标志性形象，其主体被构建为所谓的全球南方新战争的可怕而可怜的产物。然而，这种熟悉的形象只是与冲突和军国主义有关的儿童所面临问题的一个小的、一维的和选择性的（再）表现。从这个意义上说，它是分析冲突中和冲突周围儿童的不安全和人权问题的一个有问题的焦点。相反，本文认为，儿童兵的形象在其对全球南北关系的影响方面具有重要的影响力。它展示了儿童兵的形象如何通过人道主义方案或战争来帮助构建有关南方国家的知识，以及北方国家对其的义务。
