The Middle Ground Journal: World History and Global Studies invites submissions centered on the theme Children and Childhood in Global Contexts. As scholars try to elucidate the complex relationships between history and cultural identity or development, one key demographic seems consistently overlooked: children. It could be argued that scholarship intended to enlighten may also be unwittingly biased in favor of a narrative situating children as innocent, naïve, and ultimately unimportant actors. Or at the very least, they are seen as actors whose importance can only be evaluated independently of the “adult” world to which they do not, presumably, belong. However, what happens when we acknowledge children in contexts contrary to such an absolute narrative? For instance, consider the complexities surrounding cultural identification in French overseas departments – where colonial policies of assimilation led inhabitants to vote in favor of remaining “French” in the mid 20th century – and how continued political and economic ties have problematized these departments' ability to carve out independent identities. An analysis of this phenomenon might be expected to include the role of children, as these individuals will internalize and carry with them into adulthood the cultural attitudes and social norms to which they are exposed during their formative years, thus providing a potential means of social change (or perpetuation) through the process of socialization. The child, or more specifically the education, media, and relationships the child experiences, cannot be entirely separated from the larger issue – a collective sense of cultural identity. Yet the view of children as innocent or irrelevant continues to pervade the larger body of scholarship addressing “adult” issues around the world. This forum seeks to problematize that view by inviting submissions providing a critical examination of the relevancy of children and/or childhood from a variety of perspectives. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, children as subjects and audience in cultural production, representations in the media, postcolonial educational systems, childhood and culture. Please study the submission guidelines before submitting, see http://www2.css.edu/app/depts/HIS/historyjournal/index.cfm?cat=4&art=15 Submissions should be sent to the forum’s Coordinating Editor Dr. Gaeta, jgaeta@css.edu , and the Chief Editor, Dr. Liang, hliang@css.edu
This on-going forum will consist of three types of contributions:
- Research Articles (5,000-7,000 words)
- Case Studies (3,000-4,000 words)
- Book Reviews (800-1,000 words)
For research articles and case studies: please send max. 300-word abstracts, together with one-page CVs, to the Coordinating and the Chief Editors. For book reviews please send max. 150-word abstracts, together with one-page CVs, to both editors. Please email all contributions for the initial installment of the forum by October 31, 2014. The final articles will be due December 15, 2014.
The Middle Ground Journal is an open-access, refereed publication housed at The College of St. Scholastica and published by the Midwest World History Association (MWWHA), an affiliate of the World History Association (WHA). We do not charge fees any type to our authors, readers and reviewers. Additional information on the journal is available at: https://www.facebook.com/middlegroundjournal and at: http://www2.css.edu/app/depts/HIS/historyjournal/index.cfm
General inquiries on the journal should be sent to Professor Hong-Ming Liang, Chief Editor, HLIANG@CSS.EDU