More than Child’s Play: Teaching the History of Children and Youth
Lisa L. Ossian, Contributing Editor
Children’s history, whether integrated into the history survey courses or explored in separate undergraduate or graduate courses, is more than the teaching of toys and play. Playtime is certainly a fascinating topic, yet children’s history, like all aspects of social history, explores politics, economics, health concerns, and many, many more aspects of life as well. That is the focus of this column--defining children’s history and exploring how it can be taught in the college classroom and lecture hall.
Last summer, when I wasn’t teaching and could awaken in the morning with ideas and energy, I brainstormed a dozen ideas for this column. After further consideration, I will list and explain ten in this issue; then suggest one as a focus point per issue of this newsletter.
(1) Established courses. Who currently teaches college courses specifically labeled children’s history in the university or college catalog? What are the specifics: titles, summaries, instructors, institutions, and enrollment? I believe we need a beginning point. (No courses in children’s history were offered when I was an undergraduate twenty years ago, and the idea of adding a chapter concerning children to my WWII home front dissertation was flatly discouraged by my major professor just five years ago. I can’t imagine I’m alone on these points.) Although this won’t be a scientific survey, this introduction could offer some numbers and facts. Are only several courses or dozens offered throughout the country in private and public colleges? And from these course listings, can a pattern be established?
(2) Suggested readings. What texts and documents best emphasize the teaching of children’s history to either specific courses in children’s history or other topical history courses? What kinds of readings should perhaps be avoided and why? Are certain archival sources recommended?
(3) Syllabi. How are courses and topics conceived? What unique projects, exams, and papers can be suggested? How have courses evolved? (Editor's Note: H-Childhood hosts a syllabus exchange page at http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~child/syllabi/ To share your syllabus with the list, send the file to Kathleen Jones at kjwj@vt.edu
(4) Teaching techniques. What techniques have been created and utilized in large and small classes? How has children’s history been introduced in topical classes with more of an economic, military, or political focus?
(5) Survey courses. How is children’s history depicted in the general survey courses of United States, European, or world history? Are topics concerning children more apt to be integrated into the general material or offered as separate entities? How have traditional-aged and adult students responded to aspects of children’s history introduced in the survey courses?
(6) Other disciplines. How is children’s history explored in other courses such as children’s literature or psychology? Is interdisciplinary cooperation and research encouraged or discouraged at certain institutions?
(7) Introducing new courses. Who has proposed children’s history courses at either state universities and private and community colleges? Who is considering this process, and who has been discouraged? Please add such specifics as proposals, conflicts, and success stories. (In other words, if I knew then what I know now . . . how might I propose that course?)
(8) Education majors. What are the courses contained within education majors which pertain particularly to children’s issues? Are historical perspectives represented within these courses or is this lacking?
(9) Myths and misconceptions. How do instructors “tackle” myths of children’s history within the classroom? How do instructors best encourage students to “unlearn” certain aspects of history as taught in the elementary classroom? How are tragic and complex topics of children’s history best explored?
(10) Graduate programs. Is children’s history encouraged at all within graduate history programs? Or is it dismissed, perhaps as “a career killer”? What opportunities exist for graduate students who do study children's history as part of their professional training?
As the foregoing suggests, we will not lack for material in this column. I will start at the beginning of the list and work through the series. At the end of each column, I will send out a call for the next issue’s topic. This focus will allow a depth of exploration as well as an organizational focus for the newsletter’s archives.
Days ago, I asked my Western Civilization II students to examine photographs of the turn-of-the-century and to propose their own stories based on the images in the primary documents. These antique postcards included children, perhaps 15 of the 40 images, which especially sparked the imaginations and interpretations from my students because they too could remember their own children’s history and draw theories from the representations.
Children’s history promises exciting new ways to reach our students, colleagues, and the public. Let us gather our own snapshots of the current state of children’s history but also project our future images of the field. It will be fun, interesting, and, yes, frustrating at times because as readers of this newsletter know, teaching children’s history is much more than child’s play.
Call for Next Issue: The current state of children’s history courses.
If you teach or know of someone who teaches a college course with the main focus on children’s history, please describe the course and its history along with any relevant material such as course title, institution, years taught, catalog descriptions, syllabi, and enrollment figures. Send these ideas, comments, and descriptions to my home e-mail (LLOssian@aol.com) with attachments in RTF format.
