CfP: 100 Years Strong But Forever 16 - Reclaiming and Expanding Teen Entertainment History; Deadline: 16.10.2026

Call for Papers: 100 Years Strong But Forever 16 - Reclaiming and Expanding Teen Entertainment History

Teen entertainment was first developed in the United States via popular literature during the early twentieth century before gaining further momentum in radio, theatre, film, and comic books during World War II.  By the early 1950s, teen-centered entertainment had found its way to American television, further contributing to the commodification of teen culture. The early postwar era saw a rise in teen entertainment in many countries, especially those in Europe, partially due to the United States’ cultural power abroad, along with the financial success of teen-centered entertainment properties and young people’s desire to see themselves represented.

As a result of an increase in transnational media flows during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, teen entertainment is now produced and consumed in virtually every country around the world, helping to shape social constructions of adolescence, young people’s identities and cultural expressions, as well as adults’ engagements with teenagers. Regularly ignored, if not derided, by older audiences interested in more “sophisticated” forms of culture, the teen audience nonetheless continues to be one of the most lucrative markets for entertainment industries worldwide.

Until recently, the history of teen entertainment has been dominated by studies of U.S. films and television shows that feature white, heterosexual, able-bodied, middle-class youth. Minimal attention has been given to other countries, other entertainment media, and other ways of identifying and being a “teen.”  Bringing together faculty and student scholars from around the world, this symposium aims not only to expand the field of teen entertainment history but also to honor and promote the research of scholars working to enrich this unique field of study.

Deadline for submissions: 11:59 PM (US Eastern Daylight Time) on Friday, 16 October 2026
Acceptance notifications: mid January 2027

The Program Committee is interested in promoting research on the history of teen entertainment, which we define broadly as popular literature, plays, films, radio programs, television series, comic books, and video games, as well as music, musicians, and other entertainers.  Proposals that expand the study of teen entertainment history via attention to non-normative identities, intersectional perspectives, non-Western national frameworks, and/or globalization are especially welcome.  Proposals focused on current teen entertainment are welcome but should take a historical perspective.

Proposals for open-call individual papers, preconstituted panels, and preconstituted roundtables are welcome.

Individual open-call paper proposals should include an abstract of 250 words, as well as contact information and a short bio (75-100 words) for all authors.  Co-authored papers are welcome. (The Program Committee will assemble panels from accepted paper proposals.  Volunteers to act as chairs are welcome.)

Preconstituted panel proposals should include a 250-word panel proposal as well as an abstract (250 words), bio (75-100 words), and contact information for each participant.  Each panel should be made up of 3-4 papers (inclusive of the chair and, if applicable, one respondent).  Panel co-chairs are welcome, as are paper co-authors and respondents.  The chair can serve as the respondent.

Preconstituted roundtable proposals should include a 250-word proposal along with a bio (75-100 words) and contact info for each participant.  Each roundtable should have four (4) to six (6) participants, inclusive of the chair and, if applicable, the co-chair.

Follow one of these links to submit your proposal:
- Open-call individual paper proposal - https://forms.gle/bYiJLN2hZiH4f3Fh6
- Preconstituted panel proposal - https://forms.gle/r4V14BzRupyrwc5p6
- Preconstituted roundtable proposal - https://forms.gle/FYAvxvSDoTHUetd49

The Program Committee includes Barbara Jane Brickman, Mary Celeste Kearney, Diana Leon-Boys, Sharon Ross, Timothy Shary, and Frances Smith.

Please direct any questions to Mary Celeste Kearney (mckearney[at]nd.edu).