CfP: Armenian Childhood(s): Histories and Theories of Childhood and Youth in Armenian Studies
Ninth Annual International Graduate Student Workshop
April 20-21, 2018
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
455 Weiser Hall
500 Church Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1042
Abstracts are due on November 15, 2017.
In
recent years, the study of childhood and youth has gained increasing
attention that has resulted in innovative interdisciplinary scholarship.
The field of Childhood Studies of the last decade has concentrated on
modern childhood(s) and youth, and has questioned the meanings that
adults and governmental bodies attribute to children. For example
universal characteristics, such as “innocence,” “incompetence,” and
“vulnerability,” defining children and youth have been examined and
challenged by scholars from a variety of fields, who insist that
“childhood”, like ethnicity, gender, and class, is a constructed social
category. Pushing methodological boundaries to explore political,
historical, cultural, economic, and social formations, structures and
contexts across time and place, scholars have begun to consider children
and youth as agents in their political and social environment rather
than passive members of society.
This
workshop will initiate an inter-disciplinary conversation about
Armenian childhood, children, and youth. The goal is to consider new
perspectives, methodologies, and cross-disciplinary frameworks that will
put Armenian Studies in conversation with Childhood Studies. We aim to
bring together theoretical and methodological approaches along with
empirical studies across disciplines that use childhood as a category of
analysis and/or concentrate on children’s agencies and experiences in
Armenian history, politics, society, economy, and culture. We see both
childhood and youth as fluid categories and concepts that are subject to
flexible interpretations and definitions.
We
are inviting early-career scholars (graduate students or those who
defended their dissertations in the last three years) who critically use
the notion of childhood and children in their work on Armenian history,
society, and culture. We are interested in bringing together a group of
scholars from a broad range of disciplines. These include but are not
limited to history, childhood studies, psychology, anthropology,
literature, political science, education studies, sociology, art
history, gender studies, film studies, and cultural studies. Scholars
are invited to submit abstracts in these fields for their proposed
papers
Specific areas of interest include but are not limited to the following:
- Childhood and youth in Armenian history and politics; voices and agencies of Armenian children in history and politics
- Experiences and memories of Armenian children and youth with war, violence, and trauma
- Representation and construction of Armenian children and childhood in modern political discourses
- Gender and sexuality in childhood
- Armenian Children and the body politic
- Representation of children and childhood in Armenian cinema, art, music, photography, and literature
- Children and emotions
- Studies of children’s literature past and present
- The role and significance of children in social movements and resistances
- Construction(s) and understandings of girlhood and boyhood in Armenian culture and politics
- The rural and urban experiences of Armenian children past and present
- Interpretations of consumption and youth culture past and present
- Cultural heritage and a sense of communal belonging for Armenian children in diaspora
Successful applicants will need to submit a paper of no more than 8-10 double-spaced pages by April 1st, 2018 to be circulated among workshop participants.
Some
funds are available to cover travel expenses. Per donor guidelines,
preference will be given to those traveling from the Republic of Armenia
This workshop, sponsored by the University of Michigan’s Armenian Studies Program and funded by the Alex Manoogian Foundations is organized by Tugce Kayaal, PhD candidate in Near Eastern Studies Department, and Melanie S. Tanielian, Assistant Professor in History Department.
Contact Email: asp.grad.workshop@umich.edu