The next 50 years considering gender as a context for understanding young children's peer relationships

The study of children's peer relationships has a long and rich history (see Rubin, Bukowski, and Parker, 1998). This history is represented by investigations spanning such important topics as peer acceptance and rejection, friendship, leadership, peer group structure and formation, social conflict, and social networks, and these topics have permeated the field since its beginning (e.g., Monroe, 1899). Merrill-Palmer Quarterly is no exception to this historical trend-during its first 50 years articles about these topics routinely appeared in its pages. Moreover, the last two editors of Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, Carolyn Shantz and Gary Ladd, brought to the journal their wealth of knowledge about peer relationships. In fact, one of the initial members of Merrill-Palmer Quarterly's editorial board, Leland H. Stott, had an interest in peer relationships (see Stott and Ball, 1957). Thus it is not surprising that the archives of Merrill-Palmer Quarterly reflect the rich tradition of peer relationship research.