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New York Times Writer Peter Applebome to Address National Experts HOUSTON, January 27, 2006—Adoption, video games and preschool are a few of the topics that child experts from around the country will tackle at the University of Houston’s “Children’s Cultures and Children’s Cultural Worlds—An Interdisciplinary Workshop” planned for Feb. 2-4. “The goal of the workshop is to promote dialogue among historians, anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists about issues relating to the cultures that children create,” said Steven Mintz, UH John and Rebecca Moores Professor of History and National Co-Chair of the Council on Contemporary Families. “We want to talk about children as active social beings and their experiences and perceptions.” Mintz is the author of the prize-winning history of American childhood, “Huck’s Raft: A History of American Childhood,” which details the experiences, treatment and perception of children beginning with the colonial period. Among the featured speakers are New York Times columnist Peter Applebome and former Washington Post reporter Linda Perlstein. Applebome recently released the book “Scouts Honor: A Father’s Unlikely Foray into the Woods” detailing his experiences scouting with his son. Perlstein’s account of children’s middle school years was acclaimed in her book “Not Much, Just Chillin’.” The workshop participants are some of the country’s leading authorities on various aspects of children’s issues such as: children’s play, children and media, children and videogames, children in preschools, children in primary and secondary schools, and children in families. Facilitators include Paula S. Fass, history professor at the University of California-Berkeley and President-elect of the Society for the History of Children and Youth; Michael Grossberg, professor of history and adjunct professor of law at Indiana University, and past editor of American Historical Review; and Signithia Fordham, Susan B. Anthony professor of gender and women’s studies at University of Rochester. “While there are many conferences and many anthologies on childhood, I don't think there has been anything quite like the intensive, cross-disciplinary approach that we have adopted,” Mintz said. “Our goal is to truly enhance the national conversation about children's everyday lives, growth and needs.” The workshop is the second of three that Mintz and three other professors from other institutions are organizing. The first workshop, at the University of California-Berkeley, dealt with new research on child development. The next is planned for the spring at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and will focus on law and public policy. The information and ideas from these interdisciplinary workshops will culminate in a book that will serve as a guide to the latest thinking about childhood. For a schedule of activities for the “Children’s Cultures
and Children’s Cultural Worlds—An Interdisciplinary
Workshop,” please visit http://www.class.uh.edu/mintz/workshop.htm The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students. For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom. |
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