Abstract:

As a reflection on thirty plus years of research on childhood and paediatrics in Chinese history, this lecture intends to present further concerns after a systematic review, in three parts:
First, a retrospective on the why’s and how’s of studying children and childhood in history, the conceptual definition that the Chinese case had to start up with, the categorical materials for the investigation, the basic methodological questions to conduct the study with.
Second, an in depth re-examination of the physical conditions in the beginnings of life , and the role of traditional pedestrics in the Chinese and East Asian cultural linguistic world.
Third, further considerations are offered in way of world history, interdisciplinary childhood studies, and contemporary Chinese youth culture, in this ongoing journey.