Maria A. Vogel and Linda Arnell (Eds.)
Abstracts due: March 5 2018
In a European context, little research is done on girls’ life situations, social problems and social vulnerability. During the last decades, large-scale social changes has taken place within the European context, such as neoliberal developments within social policy, changes in the shape of economic crisis, globalization and the growth of EU. These changes have affected understandings of girls and girlhood, as well as the societal conditions for how girls can shape their lives. Not least regarding vast discrepancies between neo-liberal understandings of girls own responsibilities and the material limitations many girls still face. The geopolitical changes and migration of today also affect girls’ lives, as well as how girls and girlhood are conceptualized and subject to political decision making. It is therefore crucial to investigate and analyse the life and social vulnerability of girls today.
To devote an anthology to girls’ social vulnerabilities and social problems in a European context is an important contribution towards expanding the knowledge of social problems in the field of Girlhood Studies. The Europe context is excellent for providing knowledge about social vulnerability and how social problems are formulated and managed in different cultural contexts and political and social systems. Since there are a variety of social and welfare systems in Europe, it also gives us an opportunity to investigate how young femininity and girls’ social vulnerabilities and social problems are formulated, managed and understood in relation to different social conditions, which is rarely seen internationally. This setup also gives us a unique opportunity to compare and map out similarities and differences between European countries regarding welfare systems and measures in connection girls’ social vulnerability and social problems.
This book departure from current political and social developments in Europe and investigate, from an intersectional perspective, the construction of social problems and girls’ agency, social problems, vulnerabilities, and the performance of femininity. It also highlights the situation for girls that have experience of interventions by social services, such as compulsory institutional care and drug rehabilitation programs as well as how social problems are formulated and managed in different cultural contexts and political and social systems within a European context.
Berghahn Books are planning a Transnational Girlhoods series, edited by Claudia Mitchell, Olga Zdravomyslova and Bodil Formark. Maria A. Vogel and Maria A. Vogel have made initial contacts with Prof. Mitchell and Berghahn Books who has shown great interest in the proposal. If you would like to be involved in this, please send an abstract describing your plan for a chapter to maria.vogel@socarb.su.se no later than March 5 2018. The abstract should contain a heading, aim of the chapter and a brief outline of material, method and possible results.
Maria A. Vogel has a Ph.D. in social work and is an assistant professor at the Department of Social Work, Stockholm University, Sweden. Her main research areas are delinquency and secure care. An overall theme in her research is the role of gender in young people’s lives and development, with a special interest in teenage girls and the construction of girlhood.
Maria A. Vogel, holds a master in gender studies and is a PhD student at the Department of Social Work and at Umeå Centre for Gender Studies, Umeå University, Sweden. Her thesis focuses on girls’ violence. Linda is also part of the steering committee at FlickForsk! Nordic Network for Girlhood Studies.
Source: Genus-Network