ChildPro · Child prodigies: on giftedness and child celebrities in modern France
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2019-04-01 → 2021-03-31
- EU contribution
- €173,076
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Child prodigies: on giftedness and child celebrities in modern France
Using a historical approach, ChildPro brought light into the fascination with child prodigies and giftedness showing its implications in the western popular and scientific culture. Although there is no scholarly agreement on how to define giftedness there is a consensus on why it is important: understanding giftedness, and especially, gifted children, means understanding human potential and development. Conceptions of giftedness affect education and parenting and can create unrealistic expectations in adults and children. Most European countries have national associations for gifted children who counsel families, schools and governments. Yet, a commercial approach trivializes giftedness, selling it as a highly desirable (almost unproblematic) quality in children. Child prodigies manifest an extreme form of giftedness. They are generally defined as a type of gifted children aged ten or younger, capable of performing at a professional level in skill-demanding domains, such as music and the arts, chess, mathematics and sports. Research on the topic has been chiefly developed within psychology and remains quite ahistorical. Meanwhile, historical research on prodigies focused on case studies, failing to account for today’s interest in gifted children. ChildPro went beyond these two approaches and explored how the history of child prodigies can help to explain the current fascination with giftedness. The project addressed child prodigies as a cultural phenomenon that: influenced the western scientific interest in giftedness, and built a long-lasting entertainment culture around gifted children. In this way, ChildPro reflected on a timely and socially sensitive topic.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Although there is no scholarly agreement on how to define “giftedness”, there is a consensus on why it is important: understanding giftedness, and especially, gifted children, means understanding human potential and development. Conceptions of giftedness affect education and parenting, and can create unrealistic expectations in adults and children. Child prodigies manifest an extreme form of giftedness. Research on giftedness is chiefly developed within psychology, and remains quite ahistorical. Meanwhile, historical research on prodigies focused on case studies, failing to account for today’s interest in gifted children.This project aims to go beyond these two approaches. It will explore how the history of child prodigies can help to explain the current fascination with giftedness. To do so, it will examine child prodigies in cultural and scientific settings (such as the theatre and the laboratory) in 19th and early 20th century France, mainly Paris. The project will address child prodigies as a cultural phenomenon that: a) influenced the western scientific interest in giftedness, and b) built a long-lasting entertainment culture around gifted children. The study will build upon past and current psychological research on giftedness, and contribute to fields such as the history of science, and childhood and celebrity studies. With my postdoctoral experience in an ERC project, and with a promising track record, I am prepared to move a step further. The MSCA will help me improve my skills in teaching and project management. In addition, I will be able to provide a historical background to a socially sensitive and timely topic. Overall, it will solidify my career, preparing me to apply for funding and academic positions to reach independence.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisCoordinatorFrance
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union