“Perfect” Children and “Perfect” Adults in the Era of Modernization: Serbian Intellectuals in Search of a Model for Raising the Younger Generations in the Early 20th Century

The discovery of childhood by Serbian society took place in the early 20th century against the background of the demographic crisis caused by the transition from traditional to industrial society and the defeat of the national movement in the struggle against the policy of Magyarization pursued by the authorities of the Kingdom of Hungary. The intellectual elite tried to solve the problem of high mortality associated with low medical literacy by implementing a number of educational projects. One of them was coordinated by Milica Tomić (1859–1944), known as a philanthropist, organizer of the women’s movement, and editor-in-chief of the women’s magazine Žena. The creative team of the publication developed “children’s” issues in cooperation with doctors and teachers. Their attention focused on such issues as the organization of children’s nutrition, personal hygiene, child alcoholism, and domestic violence, which partly arose due to the lack of mutually recognized boundaries between the world of children and the world of adults. In the pages of the magazine, experts called on society to abandon the relationship of partnership with children typical for Serbian patriarchal families and take on full responsibility for the children’s present and future. The proposed new approach to upbringing required greater involvement of parents in the life processes of children. Proceeding from the achievements of contemporary pedology, the contributors to the magazine tried to provide adults with the necessary relevant information and give some models of interaction. That is why the magazine published recommendations on caring about children of different ages and emphasized the need for pediatric control, formation and maintenance of healthy habits, and building trusting relationships in the family. Based on the published materials, the article shows how the Serbian intellectual elite drew boundaries between the child and adult worlds, what the “perfect” childhood looked like, and what role the “perfect” adult played in it.

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