[Bilimsel Haber] CfP: The History of Childhood and Children in the Middle East

[Onur Inal]

Call for abstracts:

Proposed Volume on The History of Childhood and Children in the Middle East

Historians agree that childhood is not an unchanging, natural
phenomenon but one that is a social and cultural construct. This has
been a much-debated topic in the history of the West, where scholars
have made strong arguments as to how to conceptualize historical
changes in childhood, how to theorize children’s diverse experiences,
as well as how to uncover the authentic voice of children.  While it
is clear that the concept of childhood and children’s experiences have
changed over time, historians have not comprehensively researched how
they have changed in the Middle East, nor what sources can be used to
access the little voices of the past.

This volume seeks to pull together research on children’s lives in the
Middle East from different geographical areas and historical periods
in order build knowledge about the history of childhood in the Middle
East, as well as to articulate sources and methodological concerns for
conducting such history.  Establishing and advancing the field of the
history of childhood in the Middle East is important for various
reasons, including the following three:

1) By adding otherwise silenced actors in history to the historical
narrative of the Middle East, we can open doors for understanding new
dimensions of already-studied topics, such as nationalism, health and
medicine, women’s movements, conflict, etc.

2) Developing the field of the global history of childhood requires
more accounts of childhood from the non-west, such as the Middle East.

3) A historical perspective on childhood can contribute to
contemporary children’s rights policies and debates in the Middle
East.

Therefore, this volume seeks papers that address a diversity of
childhood experiences and meanings in Middle Eastern history.

Please submit abstracts of between 300 and 500 words by January 31,
2010 to Heidi Morrison (morrison.heid at uwlax.edu).

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Heidi Morrison

Assistant Professor
Department of History
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
403C Wimberly Hall
La Crosse, WI 54601
Email: morrison.heid at uwlax.edu
Phone: (608) 785-8345   Fax: (608) 785-8370