Rethinking the History of Childhood:Narratives, Sources, Debates

University of Greenwich, Centre for the Study of Play and Recreation, 14
January 2012

In conjunction with the Society for the Study of Childhood in the Past,
Social History Society, and Life-Cycles seminar, Institute of Historical
Research

Call for Papers
The history of childhood is now ripe for re-evaluation. Philippe Aries’
Centuries of Childhood (1960, translated 1962) although roundly
criticised, stimulated an interest in the history of children and the
social construction of childhood which has grown exponentially in recent
years. Childhood Studies has become a respected subject area embracing a
range of academic sub-disciplines.

Yet the field is fragmented. The grand narratives of the 1970s have
rarely been replaced with other interpretations of the longue durée.
More recent paradigms, for example by Postman (1982) and Zelizer (1985),
are also limited to the Anglo-American and/or Western European context.
Specialists in sub-disciplines such as crime, labour history or policing
frequently produce one book on childhood and youth and then return to
studying adults. Yet there is a wealth of new research which calls for
new models for interpreting childhood experience. The conference will
debate existing paradigms while welcoming the work of new scholars and
exploring collaboration with related sub-disciplines. Themes include,
but are not limited to:



---Recent research on childhood and adolescence and youth;

---Challenges to or revisions of the existing historiography;

---Contributions from sociology, anthropology, literary studies,
psychology, philosophy, geography;

---History of areas outside North America and Western Europe;

The conference coincides with an exhibition at the Stephen Lawrence
Gallery entitled “Junk Playgrounds”

Please e-mail abstracts of 250-300 words to  [log in to unmask]

First Deadline  1st November; notification mid-November.  Second
deadline 15th November; notification by 1st December.

Dr Mary Clare Martin, Centre for the Study of Play and Recreation,
School of Education,
Jill Shefrin, Trinity College, University of Toronto; University of
London
 [log in to unmask]
Senior Research Associate in Arts, Trinity College, University of
Toronto
Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of English, SAS, University of
London