Special Issue: Teaching Girlhood Studies GIRLHOOD STUDIES An Interdisciplinary Journal

Emily Aguilo-Perez Announcement
Subject Fields
Women's & Gender History / Studies, Teaching and Learning, Humanities
GIRLHOOD STUDIES An Interdisciplinary Journal Call for Papers Teaching Girlhood Studies Special Issue Guest-Edited by Emily R. Aguiló-Pérez (West Chester University, PA) and Jacqueline Reid-Walsh (The Pennsylvania State University, PA)
 Deadline for Abstracts: 15 October 2021 | Deadline for Articles: 15 March 2022
Girlhood Studies, as an academic discipline, is still growing. Since some educational institutions do include girls’ studies as part of a special curriculum, an academic program, a certificate course, a minor, or as part of Women’s Studies or Gender Studies, Girlhood Studies does have a presence in academia although at this stage rarely in an autonomous department. This interest in the pedagogies and practices of teaching Girlhood Studies is an important aspect of its growth as a field of study at university level, at school, and outside of formal academic settings.  Articles may address teaching girlhood studies from various perspectives and academic disciplines including historical studies, literature, cultural studies, media studies, the study of juvenilia art, material and virtual culture (for example toys and games), girls and science, geographies of girlhood, education, and girl methodologies and methods, among others. Articles may present case studies or empirical research, may include or focus on artistic representations, or may be about theoretical or conceptual frameworks related to girlhood pedagogies. Teacher perspectives as well those of students are welcome. In addition to conventional articles, we will also consider creative contributions and material produced by (former or current) students of Girlhood Studies courses.  We are especially interested in contributions on teaching Girlhood Studies by and about Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).  Topics may include, but are not limited to: 
  • Theories that inform our teaching of Girlhood Studies, such as intersectionality, entangled identities, and borderlands, among others 
  • Discussion of Girlhood Studies courses already taught, in progress, or proposed 
  • Teaching in non-classroom settings (in, for example, workshops for girls or about girlhood, non-profit education, and so on) 
  • Teaching Girlhood Studies at different levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate) 
  • Collaborations with girls in the creation, development, and/or implementation of courses in Girlhood Studies 
  • Perspectives of current or former students of Girlhood Studies courses 
  • Teaching about girlhood in literature and/or media courses 
  • Inclusions of non-binary children in girlhood pedagogies and practices. 
  • Adapting pedagogical approaches because of COVID-19, such as creating or maintaining safe spaces on virtual platforms 
  • Reflections on assignments, projects, or creative activities for Girlhood Studies 
  • Studying girlhood through specific lenses or case studies involving, for example, the body, dolls, literature, popular culture, and film.
Contact Information

Emily R. Aguiló-Pérez (she/her/hers) (ORCID: 0000-0001-5246-4585) is an Assistant Professor of English at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She specializes in children’s literature, girlhood studies, and children’s cultures (particularly Latinxs). Her work has appeared in The Looking Glass: New Perspectives on Children’s Literature (2016), Oxford Bibliographies in Childhood Studies (2017), and Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures (2019), among others. Her monograph, under contract, focuses on girlhood as represented in Puerto Rican girls’ identity formation with Barbie dolls. In addition, she is a reviewer for Latinxs in Kid Lit and is managing editor of Anansesem: The Caribbean Children’s Literature Magazine.

 

Jacqueline Reid-Walsh (she/her/hers) (ORCID: 0000-0003-3408-8453) is an Associate Professor at The Pennsylvania State University. Cross-appointed between the Departments of Curriculum and Instruction and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on children’s books and on girl cultures. She is a specialist in children’s and girls’ literature, culture, and media past and present, having published on a range of topics like children’s popular culture, Barbie, Seventeen Magazine, and the Sims computer games. Her present focus is on old and new media and her latest book is called Interactive Books: Playful Media before Pop-ups (2018). She has an ongoing digital archive and blog project topic housed with Penn State University Libraries, which can be viewed at http://sites.psu.edu/play/.

Contact Email
teachinggirlhoodstudies@gmail.com