BJDP Call for Papers

Special Issue: Call for papers

Gender and relationships

Submission deadline: 30th July 2010

Method of submission: all manuscripts (which should be clearly labelled as submissions intended for this Special Issue) must be submitted through the Journal’s own peer review system, Editorial Manager.

Issue Scope

Recent research in developmental psychology has helped to establish a better understanding of how social and cultural practices and biology together shape boys’ and girls’ behaviour and reasoning. Much of this work has examined how a child’s gender affects communication in important relationships, such as with children’s peers, siblings, parents, and teachers, and how children appropriate gendered understanding in these relationships. Although research into gender and relationships has been a perennially popular topic in developmental psychology, there have been surprisingly few recent attempts to collate this research. Thus the time is ripe to collect together the latest, highest quality research, to assess current trends, and to explore new directions for research into gender and relationships in development.

We are interested, primarily, in empirical studies which say something significant and new about gender and social relationships, broadly understood, in a developmental context. Our aim is to produce a Special Issue of the journal that will offer a state-of-the-art collection of the latest research in the area, and that will also set a framework for future research. We will interpret the term "relationships" broadly in order to ensure that manuscripts of the highest quality and that are most innovative or tackle issues of significant topical, methodological, or theoretical importance can be included. Thus we will consider all submissions that explore themes relating gender to children’s understanding of or behaviour within relationships, as well as social networks, power relations, and social hierarchies that are linked to gender group membership. We are also interested in studies which examine the consequences or outcomes of gender group membership that are mediated by children’s engagement in different relationships. The focus of this special issue is on gender, and so we will not consider reports of research that treat gender as a secondary concern; for instance, studies in which a gender difference has been found but where gender is not the core issue under study.

All manuscripts that report empirical and/or theoretical research on the topic are invited, but studies considering gender and gender influences in the following areas are particularly welcomed:

• the development and understanding of relationships;
• parenting, sibling relationships, peer relations, peer networks, and friendships;
• relationships and differential social outcomes; including educational, developmental, psychological, or social consequences of a child’s gender;
• cross-cultural studies of gender, or studies in non-traditional or under-investigated contexts;
• understanding of social roles and societal perspectives, inclusion, exclusion, and discrimination.

Authors who wish to discuss whether a paper would be suitable for the special issue are welcome to contact either one of the guest editors prior to submission. Reports of research and theory should pay attention to the implications of their work for the broader understanding of developmental processes.

All manuscripts will be sent out for anonymous peer review, following the usual procedures of the Journal. Authors should consult the Notes for Contributors for further information about submission requirements.


For further information about the Special Issue, please contact either of the Guest Editors:

Patrick Leman: patrick.leman@rhul.ac.uk

Harriet Tenenbaum: h.tenenbaum@kingston.ac.uk