“Children and ‘Elusive’ Childhoods in Zimbabwe: Experiences, Policies and Social Practices”, 26-27 January 2021
The primary aim of this multi-disciplinary conference is to simultaneously reflect on the ‘invisible’ experiences of Zimbabwean children and to disentangle diverse policies that affect them. It also seeks to interrogate social practices and processes through which childhoods have been constructed, negotiated, and reconfigured in different political, cultural and socio-economic contexts. In the main, this conference’s key objective is to stimulate multiple academic conversations and research interest on Zimbabwean children and childhoods. The conference will enable a cross-pollination of ideas and views on children and childhoods across disciplines. Therefore, we welcome academics, policy makers, lawyers, NGO representatives and child rights activists to share their views and work experiences during the conference. Papers can focus on, but are not necessarily limited to, the following themes:
- Culture and contesting definitions of children and childhood Ethics and research in childhood studies.
- Family ruptures, elusive childhoods, and child headed households Historiographies of children and childhoods
- Children, heritage, identities, and ancestry.
- Mining, Farming, domestic ‘work’, and ‘stolen’ childhoods. Childhoods in war, conflict and violence
- Children and Childhoods under COVID-19
- Children, ICTs and social media
- Children, arts, music, language and literature
- Children’s rights to health
- Quality education, learning and socialisation of children
- Laws and social policies
- Children in conflict with the law
- Memories of childhood
- Poverty, hunger, vulnerability, and social protection
- Trauma and childhoods
- Children, exploitation, and commercial sex work
- Children and sexual reproductive health rights
- Science, healing and Children
- Child sensitive development policy and programming
- Orphans, Vulnerable Children and Foster Care’
- Disasters and climate change
- Gender based violence
- Children and nation building
- Religion, children and childhoods
- Displacements, migration and the diaspora
Abstract and submission process
Abstracts of between 300 and 350 words should be submitted simultaneously to childhoodmsu@gmail.com . In addition, authors should send their full contact details (title, name, address, email-address, telephone and institutional affiliation). These should appear below the abstract.
Publication of papers
We envisage a publication, such as a special journal issue or an edited book, using selected conference papers.
Important dates
Due date for abstracts: 20 November 2020 Feedback on abstracts: 5 December 2020 Due date for full papers: 15 January 2021 Conference dates: 26 and 27 January 2021
Mindful of the ongoing COVID-19 induced public health concerns, the Conference Organising Team has decided to have the Conference on-line. Therefore, there are no