Welcome to the XI Conference on Childhood Studies, May 6–8, 2026

University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland

The main event organised by the Finnish Society for Childhood Studies is the annual/biannual Conference on Childhood Studies, which was held for the first time in 2008 in Turku, Finland.

The International XI Conference on Childhood Studies will be held in Joensuu on 6–8 May 2026. The theme of the conference is Childhood and Boundaries.

The Keynote Speakers of the conference are Professor Helen Stalford (University of Liverpool) and Associate Professor Pekka Mertala (University of Jyväskylä).

For the first time, the conference will also feature a panel discussion. The panel is chaired by Professor Maarit Alasuutari from the University of Jyväskylä, Faculty of Education and Psychology.

Conference theme: Childhood and Boundaries

What kind of boundaries are associated with childhood and how are the boundaries visible in children’s lives? When and how do children set boundaries themselves, and when do adults do it for them? How do children navigate and negotiate these boundaries? How are boundaries crossed in childhood, and how does the existence or dismantling of boundaries affect children’s lives and everyday lives? Could childhood be limitless, and what kind of effects would this have on society and upbringing? How are boundaries formed in childhood studies – conceptually, methodologically, ontologically, and ethically?

The theme of the XI Conference on Childhood Studies, Childhood and Boundaries offers an opportunity to reflect on these questions in a multidisciplinary way. We live in a time marked by a longing for boundaries and order, clarity and even the setting of different boundaries. At the same time, social media, for example, brings cross-border content and influences to children’s lives. Migration affects the multi-locality of life and actualise different borders from both the perspective of restricting and protecting children’s lives. There are also boundaries related to the body and gender, which children encounter in different ways. This highlights the social, political, legal and practical consequences of the boundaries of childhood, the negotiation of them, and how different boundaries and the opportunities to cross them shape childhood.

The aim of the conference is to highlight perspectives on childhood studies and practical work that challenge how the boundaries of childhood have traditionally been understood and open up new ways of looking at childhood and its meanings in today’s world. The keynotes, presentations and discussions at the conference will cover the boundaries of childhood as social, geographical, institutional, legal, cultural, methodological and ethical concepts. We invite researchers from different fields to consider how boundaries, boundlessness and crossing boundaries or porosity manifest themselves in childhood and childhood studies. We will discuss the boundaries of childhood, adolescence and adulthood, as well as the social, legal and cultural boundaries faced by children. We welcome insights that challenge traditional ways of understanding childhood and open up new directions for exploring this stage of life.

We invite presentations to the conference that examine boundaries in childhood and childhood studies through, for example, the following questions:

What does it mean to grow and live on boundaries — physical, symbolic, or experienced?
What kind of opportunities do children have to define their own boundaries?
Where are the boundaries of childhood in different cultures and communities?
What are the boundaries between the researcher and the child participating in the research, and what do interpreting and crossing these boundaries mean for science?
What are the legal and ethical boundaries related to children’s access to information and decision-making in various social activities and services?
How are the boundaries of normal childhood, development and growth defined?
How do adults colonise childhood and how is childhood utilised, for example, in politics?
How, for example, can perspectives from sociology, history, cultural studies, psychology, education, law, arts, health sciences and other fields enrich childhood studies and open up new, cross-border opportunities for collaboration?
What are the methodological and ethical boundaries of childhood studies?

Upcoming timelines:

2025

Spring 2025: Keynote speakers will be announced
22 September – 3 November 2025: Abstract submission/Symposium proposals
8 November 2025 – 31 January 2026: Early bird registration
10 December 2025: Abstract acceptance notification

2026

8 November 2025 – 31 January 2026: Early bird registration
31 January – 6 May 2026: Regular registration
1 February 2026: Programme published
6–8 May 2026: Conference dates

XI Conference on Childhood Studies in 2026 is organised by the Finnish Society for Childhood Studies, University of Eastern Finland, SOS Children’s Villages, and Coordinating the participation and inclusion of children, young people and families.

Venue: University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu Campus (Specific venue to be advised).

#ChildhoodConf2026