Author: Jean-Pierre ROSSIE
Title: Ph.D.
Born: 16 August 1940
Bio: Jean-Pierre ROSSIE

Born in Gent (Ghent), Belgium, on August 16th 1940. 

Studies in social work (1958-1961) and in African ethnology at the State University of Ghent (1963-1968).

Doctor in African history and philology at the State University of Ghent in 1973 with a thesis in Dutch covering the theme of Child and Society. The Process of Socialization in Patrilineal Central Africa.

Researcher of the Nationaal Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - National Foundation for Scientific Research, Brussels, from 1968 to 1978. This foundation continued to support the research and publications on Saharan and North African children’s play, games and toys till 1992.

Fieldwork among the semi-nomadic Ghrib of the Tunisian Sahara on children’s socialization (1975-1977), 

After the first research period among the Ghrib (March-May 1975) the decision to concentrate on children’s play, games and toys was taken, leading to a lifelong research on Saharan and North African children’s play, games and toys.

Social worker and sociocultural anthropologist in the social services for, especially Turkish and North African, migrants of the city of Ghent between 1980 and 1990.

During this job in the social services for migrants, the written information on Saharan and North African play, games and toys has been studied and a large collection of toys from these regions was analyzed in the Musée de l’Homme in Paris.

The first research trip to Southern Morocco took place in February 1992. Since then yearly research periods are conducted on Moroccan children's play, games and toys.

Founding member of the International Toy Research Association (ITRA) in 1993.

Member of the Nordic Center for Research on Toys and Educational Media (NCFL), Halmstad, Sweden, from 1997 till 2001.

Founding member of the Stockholm International Toy Research Centre (SITREC), Stockholm, Sweden, in March 2002.

Associated researcher of the Musée du Jouet in Moirans-en-Montagne, France since July 2005.

Member of the Executive Board of the International Toy Research Association (ITRA), since July 2008.

The Belgian Foundation for Vocations, Brussels, awarded him in 1967 the “Prize for a Vocation”, and on October 29th, 2004 the Lennart Ivarsson Scholarship Foundation awarded him the “BRIO Prize 2004”.