2nd International Children and Youth Perspectives Conference

The International Children and Youth Perspectives Conference is organised biennially by the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. It is an interdisciplinary space for academics, researchers, policymakers and practitioners to discuss innovative research, policy, and practice fostering child-centred (participatory) and rights-based approaches. It aims to probe the categories of ‚child‘, ‚children‘ and ‚childhood‘ as socially constructed and explore children and young people’s everyday experiences of social and cultural phenomena across multiple childhood contexts globally. Our mission is to provide a regular forum for furthering debate in childhood studies and related disciplines, address the gaps, inform relevant policies and practices, and spot emergent themes in the field.

For the 2025 iteration, we have partnered with the WONDRE project funded by the European Union (ERC StG 101114939). The conference is facilitated by Dr. Tereza Javornícky Brumovská, Dr. Anežka Kuzmičová and Dr. Markéta Supa, with assistance from Kristýna Gajová and Karolína Šimková.

2025 Theme: What Persists?

There seems to be an omnipresent emphasis in children and youth-related discourse on ongoing large-scale transformations – social, cultural, political, environmental, technological, and more. The 2025 iteration of the Children and Youth Perspectives Conference instead asks what remains in children and youth’s lived experiences, in childhood and youth studies, and in research and practice with children and youth, that has yet to be brought to the fore. What has been long present and is ongoing and remains to be addressed? What aspects of children and youth’s lived experience may seem generally known, taken for granted, solved, or well functioning, but are not? What does persistence mean and how is it practised in diverse situations and contexts?

Alongside theoretically and empirically based papers, we welcome thought-provoking critical commentaries and reflections from varied geographical locations and diverse contexts. Together with internationally and globally relevant topics and issues, we also wish to zoom in on niche and locally specific phenomena. Contributions from all disciplines and areas of practice are most welcome, but this time we would particularly like to encourage:

1. papers bridging childhood and youth studies with arts, literature, and media studies,
2. contributions focused on higher and professional education in childhood, children’s, and youth studies.