Mapping Girlhood Studies: The Journal, the Academic Field and the Prospects

Abstract

Issues as diverse as the attempted murder of Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan for trying to get to school, and the suicide of Amanda Todd in Canada which was connected to cyberbullying, serve to highlight not only the continuing significance of challenging patriarchal structures, but the relevance of Girlhood Studies as a field. This article offers an analysis of the recent evolution of the subject as both an academic field of study and in an interdisciplinary arena, and as a site of activism. In providing something of an overview or meta-perspective on the field, the article uses a ‘wide angle’ lens to look back at the first 10 issues of the journal Girlhood Studies.

Following an exploration of the journal itself and some areas which would benefit from further attention in the future, such as interdisciplinarity, being a journal which looks at both ‘developing’ and ‘developed’ contexts, taking global and local perspectives, widening the journal’s accessibility, and encouraging new community structures related to girlhood studies. The author focuses on some of the critical issues in the field in relation to tools and theories, and looks at participatory methods for engaging girls directly in shaping the field of Girlhood Studies. While the article is framed within international perspectives and debates, it includes some ideas and recommendations for ‘going forward’ in the Russian context, which might include setting a new agenda via conferences and publications, supporting new scholars in the area, and forming new research alliances. Through examining work already done in diverse local contexts such as the Nordic area and South Africa, it asks what new questions it may be necessary to ask in developing Girlhood Studies in the post-Soviet arena.