Fears and Pleasures in Nordic Childhoods

Transcription

1 C all for papers Welcome to the BIN-Norden conference 2016: Fears and Pleasures in Nordic Childhoods 10 th 11 th November 2016 at Lysebu, Oslo Important dates Deadline for abstract submission: 1 st March 2016 Deadline for panels/workshops proposals: 1 st March 2016 Notification of acceptance: 2 nd May 2016 Registration: from 1 st June 2016 Registration deadline: 24st October 2016 Conference: 10 th 11 th November 2016 Theme Childhood has often been seen as a sheltered world unto itself, but the realities of our modern society have given rise to a whole range of new childhood experiences. The conditions for cultural participation by children and adolescents are being negotiated and constructed in new ways through interaction on local, regional and global levels. This poses a challenge to our traditionally uniform understanding of Nordic childhood, which is strongly in need of renewal. In particular, we must deepen our knowledge of the diversity of children and adolescents' cultural participation and develop methods of studying this essential facet of our society. BIN-Norden invites researchers, educators and professionals with an interest in child culture research to present, elucidate and explore research and alternative methodological approaches to the study of new Nordic childhood, culture and heterogeneity. Many of the discussion topics concerning childhood circulate around the twin poles of fear and pleasure. As a societal phenomenon contemporary childhood is suffused with an awareness of risks and dangers. Even when they are not subject to any particular threat, many adults feel that children must be protected, as if they are vulnerable and at risk in ways that do not apply to later stages in life. Vulnerability and risk go hand in hand with protection and care. The presumed romantic innocence of children and childhood may be an attractive idea to adults, however this romanticism can manifest itself as anxiety about the eventual, inevitable loss of innocence. This ambivalence is apparent in the Nordic welfare states, in everyday life and the public sphere, in policy and institutional practices. Media diversity plays a large role in adult concern about modern childhood, as do

2 new migration patterns and new family and work patterns. The changing landscape of childhood is also manifested in kindergartens and schools, where children, as future human capital resources, encounter conflicts between adaptation to democracy and life in a community and expectations of individual selfdetermination and self-regulation. In the fields of art and culture, children and adolescents encounter shared cultural values and a canonised cultural heritage, while also learning that individual and innovative cultural expressions are in high social demand, and are particularly valued as an expression of authenticity. The paradox is thus manifest in the expectations of both parents and society at large that children perform at a high level and develop some sort of unique or extraordinary talent. Childhood can be seen as a temporary idyll, full of pleasures to be romanticised, forgotten or deemed childish later in life. At the same time, children themselves can be perceived as a source of pleasure and hope for adults. These ideas linking children and childhood with pleasure are supported by cultural imagery from high art to advertisements: a mother cradling her child is one of the most iconic images of domestic bliss. Children, on the other hand, may find pleasure in challenging the order that adults impose on them by, for example, enjoying sweets at inappropriate times or in an inappropriate manner. Their pleasures may derive from border crossings (i.e. pretending to be adults) and they may differ from those simple or pure images cherished by earlier generations. For adults at least, the fears and pleasures of childhood are, intimately connected: rosy newborns go into their terrible twos, little rascals become juvenile delinquents and mommy s little angels transform into mean girls. Peer pressure is portrayed as a moral threat and the lying, pleasure-loving, disobedient and/or immoral child is depicted a challenge to the cultural order. The cultural contexts of childhoods are changing. Globalisation, commercialisation and digitalisation are, for example, all factors that affect our pleasures and pastimes. In many cases, these changes and the pleasures connected to them are, however, also sources of fear and anxiety. The image of childhood as a refuge from the horrors of the world is challenged in the global, digitalized media by images of refugee children alone or with their families, living hand to mouth in camps, or en route to asylum struggling to survive the nearly insurmountable challenges of endless war, cynical profiteering, hostile or fearful citizens of European countries and forces of nature that can take their lives in a moment. More than half of those who have fled Syria during the country's four years of unrest are children. They lack food, shelter and medical supplies, and what is more, they

3 have been stripped of central aspects of childhood: the creation of child culture through play, fun, fantasy and youthful control of space and material. We invite researchers from a wide range of disciplines to contribute to our discussion of the pleasures and fears that are intertwined in our modern concept of childhood. Rather than considering child and youth culture as separate from adult culture, we seek to encourage research that investigates children, youth and childhood as a part of their broader cultural, social and political context. Of special interest are papers that can add to our understanding of child and youth culture in socio-spatial and intergenerational contexts. Possible themes/topics for panels and papers include but are not limited to: private/isolated/challenged individual Fears and pleasures; risks and danger Fears and pleasures; sexuality and gender Fears and pleasures: ideals and realities of childhood in the Nordic countries Fears and pleasures related to outdoor life and movement The conference is aimed at researchers, educators and others with an interest in child culture research. Students with relevant research projects are also encouraged to submit contributions at the conference. The aim of the Nordic conference is to strengthen the Nordic community on child culture research and promote the formation of a Nordic network of researchers. Children and childhood as sources of fear and pleasure Childish fears and pleasures Fear and pleasure in politics for children and youth Fear and pleasure in child culture, e.g. literature, music, visual arts Intergenerational activities or experiences of fear and pleasure Pleasure/pressure paradoxes Fear, pleasure and cultural and socio-spatial transition Fears, pleasures and new/digital and material worlds Fears, pleasures, the community/collective/public and the Conference languages: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and English. Guidelines for paper proposals Abstracts for paper proposals must not exceed 500 words (including bibliography) and should include the following: Research questions Methodological approach 3 5 keywords Up to 5 references

4 Abstracts should include the name/s of the author/s, affiliation, and title of the paper. Paper proposals can be in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish or English. Please note that the language of the abstract is also the language of presentation. Authors are expected to prepare a 20-minute presentation for the conference; each presentation will be followed by 10 minutes of discussion. Please send your proposal by to BIN@hib.no as a Word or PDF file attachment. The abstracts are reviewed by the Program Committee. Authors can expect notification of acceptance by 2 nd May Guidelines for panel/workshop proposals Organizers of panels are responsible for the selection of the individual contributions in their panel. Panel organizers are also responsible for ensuring that contributors to their panel will register for the conference in good time before the registration deadline. Organizers of workshops are responsible for planning and running the workshop. The language of panel discussions and workshops is English. Panel discussions have duration of 90 minutes, and workshops last 60 minutes. Please send your proposal by to mailto:bin@hib.no as a Word or PDF file attachment. The Program Committee is responsible for selecting the panels. We also invite proposals for panels and workshops related to the overall theme of the conference. Panel and workshop proposals should include: A title of the session and a description of the content (maximum 500 words) 3 5 keywords 5 references Name and affiliation of the panel/workshop chair/organizer Name and affiliation of 3-5 panel participants (only for panels) Registration and conference fee Registration is possible on the BiN homepage beginning 1 st June The deadline for registration is 24st of October The conference fee is NOK and includes one night s room and board at Lysebu (Day 1: lunch, refreshments,

5 conference dinner, etc. Day 2: breakfast, lunch and refreshments, etc.). If you choose to participate in the conference without conference dinner Thursday night and overnight stay at Lysebu, the conference fee is NOK (NOT including conference dinner). Lysebu is beautifully situated at the threshold of Holmenkollen and Nordmarka, the outdoor recreation area surrounding Oslo. Directions: Arrival by air/train: From Gardermoen airport take the airport express train to Oslo S (approximately 19 minutes). From Oslo S station, you can catch tram number 1 Frognerseteren and get off at the stop Voksenkollen (approximately 30 minutes) before walking the last stretch to the hotel (5 minutes). Welcome to Oslo in November 2016! The steering committee of BIN-Norden