Call for papers: Imagining the Child’s Mind

International conference. 

In the period following the Second World War, several (international) initiatives brought the issue of children's mental health to the forefront. The political will to address this area — undoubtedly shaped by an awareness of the war’s impact on new generations—was accompanied, affirmed, and in some respects even anticipated by developments in various academic and scientific fields that took on the task of understanding, guiding, and treating the “child’s mind.” Notably, the “psy” disciplines, pedagogy, criminology, social work, sociology, and anthropology entered into a shared and evolving dialogue on this subject. Child psychiatry established itself as a distinct medical discipline. Psychological perspectives contributed to a shift in the paradigm of childhood and suffering, partially supplanting earlier frameworks
focused on morality and education.

The following decades witnessed an explosion of research into childhood mental disorders, their diagnosis, and classification—developments that certainly did not take place in a political, social, or cultural vacuum. Since both the concept of mental health and that of childhood— individually and in their interrelation—are historically, culturally, and socially constructed, the definitions and strategies used to address issues in relation to children’s mental health have differed across contexts and over time.

The symposium aims to deepen our understanding of these distinctions through insights from researchers in the fields of history and related disciplines, with particular attention to the dynamics of change after 1945. 

The international conference will be held within the project Retrochild: Children, trauma and political violence in Italo-Slovene Borderland (1945-1960), financed by European Commission (MSCA project).

Call for papers

We especially welcome contributions that transcend Westerncentric frameworks and engage with diverse disciplinary approaches. We invite papers that explore how definitions of and responses to children’s mental health were shaped by the legal and institutional frameworks of individual states and international organizations, and how these definitions were subject to more or less explicit forms of political (mis)use. To what extent did the Second World War—and other major political transformations—constitute a turning point in shaping policies and practices related to children’s mental health across different contexts? How far were these measures and approaches determined by state authorities, and to what degree were they also influenced/shaped by various actors within the system—medical professionals, parents, and even children themselves? We also encourage reflections on the ways in which scientific paradigms reflected, reproduced, or transcended ideological divisions between the Socialist and Capitalist states.

We also welcome papers addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • “abandoned children”/orphaned children/illegitimate children/street children & mental health in
    history
  • juvenile delinquents/“maladjusted children” & mental health in history
  • refugee children & mental health
  • migrant children & mental health
  • war & political violence, children & mental health
  • school & mental health
  • parenting & mental health
  • art/literature, children & mental health
  • international organisations & children's mental health in history
  • absence and presence of children in psychiatric discourse
  • absence and presence of children in psychiatric institutions

Submission Guidelines

  • Title & Abstracts: Submit a title and an abstract (max 300–500 words) detailing your proposed paper, including the research question, methodology, and anticipated findings.
  • CV & Contact: Include a short CV (max 150 words) and your contact email.
  • Deadline: 30 October 2025
  • Language: Submissions are welcome in English. The conference proceedings, including paper presentations and discussions, will be conducted in English.
  • Format: Papers will be presented in 20-minute sessions, followed by discussions. Panel proposals (three related papers) are also welcome.

Publication Opportunity

Selected papers will be considered for inclusion in an edited volume or special journal issue dedicated to the conference themes.

Key Dates

  • Abstract Submission Deadline: 30 October 2025
  • Notification of Acceptance: 15 November 2025
  • Conference Dates: 29–30 January 2026

For submissions and inquiries, please contact: Ana.Cergol@ff.uni-lj.si