In recent years, various studies urge us to rethink our perspectives on the definitions, role and functions assumed by different forms of “childhood” in Latin-American societies. Likewise, a growing number of anthropological, historical and educational studies invite us to refer to “childhood(s)” in plural, to express the diversity that characterises the social constructions that give meaning to the idea of child in different times and spaces. The recognition of diverse ways of thinking, constructing, and giving meaning to different “childhood(s)” and relating to them in each social group, helps us opening new and interesting research pathways to overcome the concept of the “universal child”. The latter concept (the “universal child”) inherited from colonial, patriarchal and dominant epistemic traditions, has frequently been the foundation of national and international policies of assistance, care, and education. Also, it has oriented the actions of state and non-state actors in relation to popular sectors of society, indigenous and Afro-descendant groups, often with paternalistic implications that deny recognition of the social and cultural diversities. The idea of the “universal child” promoted “from above” has historically found its limits, because it does not tend to concern with social and cultural practices that emerge “from grassroots” by subaltern groups.

Against this background, this dossier proposes to reflect on the multiple distinctions of the ideas of “childhood” in Latin America, and on the tensions that arise around them in relation to policies, programs and actions of state and non-state entities. The purpose, therefore, is to consider the representations, imaginaries, and practices of relations, care, nurture and education that are constructed from children’s perspectives, within spaces of political and social construction, challenged by debates, tensions, burdens, resistance and negotiations, in which the principles that guide the social reproduction of each group is at stake.

The focus of the dossier is on the processes and social spaces for the construction and implementation of ideas about childhood, as well as the debates and tensions around them: education (formal, non-formal or informal) the family and parenting networks (nurture and care), the dynamics of gender construction and the collective sense of belonging (ethnicities and intercultural relations), labour aspects (rural and urban marginality and the issue of child labour) and areas of cultural production of each social group (the imaginaries, games, literature, sports and children entertainment).

Submission guidelines

Contributions with an abstract of maximum 600 characters (in English and the language of the article) and 5 keywords in both languages, must be submitted anonymously at the OJS platform, to follow the review and evaluation process provided by the journal standards.

Submission deadline: July 30th, 2021

Editors

• Patricia Ames Ramello (PUCP),
• Gisselle Tur Porres (Swansea University)
• Javier González Díez (UNAE)

Journal

CONFLUENZE is an online peer review journal dedicated to Latin American studies in social sciences and humanities.

CONFLUENZE adopts a interdisciplinary perspective through the encounter and dialogue of different approaches taking into account the several cultures of the Ibero-American worlds. Confluenze aims to contribute to advancing the Ibero-American mutual and reciprocal understanding through the production and broad dissemination of research papers in and around the fields of social sciences and humanities from a interdisciplinary point of view. The journal focuses on the Ibero-American regions, but welcomes contributions from neighbouring areas such as the Caribbean, lusophone Africa, North-America and Europe.

CONFLUENZE is indexed, among others, on Scopus, DOAJ, Dialnet, BASE, Scirus, Latindex, MLA, Ulrich's.

Contact: confluenze@unibo.it