Editorial by Prof. Madeleine Leonard, Research Forum for the Child, Queen’s University, Belfast

What are the experiences and perceptions of children growing up in ethnically and politically divided societies?  What is the impact on their everyday lives and life chances? The Research Forum for the Child at Queen’s University, Belfast held a multi-disciplinary conference  in June 2010 which brought together over seventy scholars from several countries on this issue. 

While a central theme of the conference was the experiences and perceptions, the presentations clearly illustrated the importance of appreciating the range of divisions that impact on the everyday lives and life chances of young people growing up today. The speakers sought to challenge simplistic notions of a homogenised version of childhood and/or adolescence highlighting instead the need to contextualise the lives of young people in time and place, recognising both constraints and agency. Moreover, in detailing the micro geographies of young people and giving voice to their often locally based narratives, the importance of placing these within wider macro changes occurring at societal, cultural, political or economic levels was evident and revealing.

In relation to ethnic and political divisions a number of papers addressed the role of educational systems, curricula and particular pedagogic practices in challenging, (re)shaping or reinforcing these divisions at both individual and collective levels.  The practices, processes and discourses prevalent in schools and their impact on notions of identity, perceptions of nationalism, sectarianism and prejudice and understandings of the ‘other’ and ‘self’ were key themes. Using a range of methodological tools a number of papers drew on the drawings and narratives of young people to illustrate how they understood and negotiated the complexities and contradictions inherent in societies that may be both blatantly and subtly divided. Presenters sought to critically evaluate, educational policies and practices and to highlight the need for contextualised, multi layered formal and informal approaches that would encourage an appreciation of diversity and respect. While many of the papers focused on the situation in Northern Ireland and Cyprus there were also interesting insights provided from, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Palestine and Turkey .

A number of contributors, while appreciating the need to be sensitive to young people’s diverse everyday experiences, highlighted the continued relevance of poverty, class and gender in shaping attitudes, perceptions and life chances.  These often interwoven structures created or reinforced physical, spatial and mental barriers that often bolstered a ‘them’ and ‘us’ mentality both within and between young people and between young people and adults. 

A selection of papers from the conference will be included in a special issue of the Journal of Sociology and Social Policy scheduled for publication in 2011.  

Disclaimer : The editorial does not necessarily reflect the opinion of IDE Board and team.

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