Course
Childism and Archiving the Climate Movement for Future Historians (ECM180)
Course description for study year 2025-2026. Please note that changes may occur.
Facts
Course code
ECM180
Credits (ECTS)
5
Semester tution start
Autumn
Language of instruction
English
Number of semesters
1
Exam semester
Autumn
Content
This challenge aims to highlight the necessity and the difficulties of employing a childist approach to history as a discipline. Whereas the history of children and childhood as a subfield of historical studies has deep roots, children (and age as an analytical category) are still overlooked or marginalized in most mainstream historical research, especially when considering histories of the Global South. The challenge of how to incorporate children and their voices into historical research, as well as of acknowledging the centrality of age as a fundamental structure of power relations over various eras and locations, often stems from the (real or perceived) lack of primary sources created by children.
This challenge will expose students to the difficulties of studying children in the past from a childist perspective, as well as present them with examples of scholarship that transcends these difficulties. The course will explore possible solutions to contribute to paradigmatic shifts made possible by incorporating childism into historical inquiry.
Students will then help future historians to bypass the challenge of locating primary sources created by children, by building a mini-archive of such primary sources using an online platform (such as Wikipedia or other relevant platforms). The archive will include sources on children's involvement and activism as part of the climate movement, as well as documentation of their perspectives, understandings, and opinions regarding climate change and activism.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
The candidate
- has knowledge of critical developments in the history of children and childhood.
- has knowledge of early 21st century children’s climate activism
- has knowledge of the Challenge Based Learning (CBL) method.
- has knowledge of basic archival work (collecting materials, cataloging, giving keywords, etc.)
Skills
The candidate
- can apply critical knowledge to read historical scholarship and analyze primary historical sources.
- can apply the CBL method to propose an online archive of children's part in the climate movement.
- can use an online platform to present the results and primary sources collected to the public and/or future historians.
General competencies
The candidate
- can understand the challenges faced by historians of children and childhood and the importance of including age an analytical category in historical analysis.
- can apply the CBL method to finding multidisciplinary solutions
Required prerequisite knowledge
Recommended prerequisites
Exam
| Form of assessment | Weight | Duration | Marks | Aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folder evaluation | 1/1 | Passed / Not Passed |
Learners will be assessed based on a total of three assignments:
- One online team presentation with jury feedback,
- One team submission in a digital format,
- One individual process report of 1000 - 1200 words.
All assignments are obligatory to complete the course and must be passed. In case candidates or teams do not pass a particular assignment, they can resubmit it without having to do all the assignments again. All assignments have equal weight and will only result in an overall pass/fail grade i.e., there is no further grading system.
Each team will make a 10-minute online presentation for a jury and receive feedback. The teams shall revise their presentations considering the feedback and submit it in a digital format. Teams can have a maximum of 5 participants. Each participant will submit an individual process report separately based on guidelines that will be given in the introductory session.