Children, Youth and the Making of International Society in the Twentieth Century

This open access volume explores the role of children and youth in shaping international society during the twentieth century, challenging the view that their visibility in global politics today is unprecedented. It brings together contributors to investigate how young people have participated in social movements, humanitarian efforts, cultural exchange, and institution-building, as well as how their representations have shaped political responses and visions for new international agendas.Situating the history of children and youth within a broader web of relations among individuals, institutions and international organizations, the chapters address youth mobilisation in socialist, communist, and anti-fascist movements, alongside the symbolic use of children in imperial, ideological, and humanitarian projects promoted by international institutions and NGOs. They examine children’s roles in transnational solidarity, from the Spanish Civil War aid and postwar adoptions to anti-apartheid activism. The volume also highlights how cultural and emotional imaginaries of youth shaped global futures and children’s rights beyond the Cold War.By centering children and youth in the history of global affairs, this volume seeks to deepen our understanding of the pathways through which young people have engaged with international politics, mobilized networks, and contributed to shaping the institutions and imaginaries of the modern world.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by Lund University Library, Sweden.