Call for Papers: American Anthropological Association Meetings
Denver, CO, USA November 18-22^nd 2015

Making parents:
Assisted reproduction and parenting culture in contemporary society

Organisers: Dr Charlotte Faircloth (University of Roehampton) and Dr Zeynep Gurtin (University of Cambridge)

Panel Discussant: Professor Marcia Inhorn (Yale University)

Whilst ‘Parenting Culture’ and ‘Assisted Reproductive Technologies’ are now well-established subfields of anthropological scholarship, so far, the common threads between these two bodies of work have not been significantly explored. Taking ‘reproduction’ as the locus of this comparison, this panel will showcase novel contributions from scholars working in either field who are interested in creating such connections. In particular, we seek papers exploring the ways contemporary cultures of parenthood create an appetite for these technologies, just as technologies simultaneously contribute to shaping those very cultures.  Continue reading CFP AAA 2015 – Making Parents →

Call for Panelists for ASA Meetings

The focus of this panel is on how children experience state presence in their everyday lives, the meaning they attribute to it, and how they respond to and navigate these experiences.

While the focus of the papers will be on young people (“children”, locally defined), the topic will be approached through research that situates children within the immediate setting of household and proximate social relations, as well as within the political economy. Preference will be given to papers that provide a generational and/or historical context for understanding both continuity and change in children’s experiences and responses.

Together, the papers in this panel will move beyond paradigms that problematize young people on one hand, or romanticize their agency on the other. Instead, the papers will contribute to our understanding of the different ways that young people from diverse material realities experience and engage with state presence, and they will explore the significance of young people’s everyday responses and actions.

Please email statement of interest by March 5, if possible. Email abstract by March 10 to Kirsten at  kirsten.pontalti@seh.ox.ac.uk

Call for Papers – PhD Students

The University of Nottingham Postgraduate Children and Childhood Network is delighted to be hosting a research conference at the University of Nottingham on Friday the 15th of May, 2015. Reflecting the recent substantial growth in research on and involving child participation, the conference will serve as an excellent opportunity for PhD students involved in research with children to explore this critical and topical theme. The conference seeks to explore the extent to which children and young people should be involved in research that impacts on their lives, and the ethical and practical issues that arise when researchers undertake this style of research. We are interested in how these issues permeate the entire research process, from initial design to dissemination, and therefore welcome papers from PhD researchers at all stages.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:
·         Procedural and situated ethical issues in researching with children
·         Methodological problems and dilemmas
·         Experiences of using participatory/innovative methods
·         Working with ‘gatekeepers’
·         The positionality of the researcher

In addition to presentations by PhD researchers, the conference will feature a keynote lecture on the conference topic by Associate Professor Ellen Townsend (Psychology, University of Nottingham).  The conference will also include an expert panel of academics with extensive track records in research on various aspects of children’s lives. The conference will be a prime opportunity to network with PhD students from across the UK.

Abstracts (up to 250 words) are invited for submission by Midday on Tuesday 17th March.
Brief proposals for poster presentations are also welcome by this date

Presentations will last for 15 minutes and will be followed by opportunities for questions and discussion.

The conference is open to all current PhD candidates working on research involving children across all academic disciplines.

Please email your abstract and the title of your paper to:
PG-CCH-Network@nottingham.ac.uk with your name, institutional affiliation and role.

For more information about the conference and the Postgraduate Children and Childhood Network, please visit our website at: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/children-and-childhood-network/postgraduate-network/index.aspx