Political Tourism

CFP: Arbetarhistoria and Arbejderhistorie

Call for papers: political tourism

Swedish Arbetarhistoria and Danish Arbejderhistorie are planning a joint issue on political tourism to be published in 2011.

By 'political tourism' we mean journeys with a political purpose, politically arranged journeys and journeys to political destinations. Political tourism may include for example journeys made in the name of solidarity, journeys arranged by political organisations or interest groups, the tours of political delegations to the new utopia in the east, or journeys involving active participation in civil wars or in anti-imperialist action. It may also include for example trips made by homosexuals to Berlin in the 1920s. Political tourism is thus broadly defined, in relation to travellers and their destinations, to the meanings of the journeys, and to the sources where the travel experiences are described.

Until now research on political tourism has mostly concentrated on the period after 1945, on western travellers and on political engagement in the narrow sense of party politics. In this special issue we welcome articles exploring political tourism from broader chronological, geographical and thematic perspectives. We would be particularly interested in articles that are concerned with the following, for example:

  • Travellers and journeys from the first half of the 20th century or earlier
  • Travellers from and journeys to different regions of the world
  • Travellers motivated by the politics of gender, ethnicity, family, culture or sexual liberation

At the same time we are looking for contributions which offer insights into the political, social and cultural relations that shaped the traveller, the experience of travelling and/or the travelogue.

Please send your abstract (1 page maximum) by 15 January 2010 at the latest, either to Silke Neunsinger, [mailto]silke.neunsinger@arbark.se[/mailto], or Iben Vyff, [mailto]vyff@hum.ku.dk[/mailto]. The deadline for the submission of articles is 15 June 2010. We are looking forward to your contribution!

Arbetarhistoria and Arbejderhistorie are journals of history, culture and politics. The editorial policy of the journals is based on a broad definition of labour history, including not only the labour movement but also gender, family, health and other themes within social history and the history of ideas during the 19th and 20th centuries. For further information about the journals please visit the journal websites at [url]http://www.sfah.dk[/url] and [url]http://www.arbetarhistoria.se[/url].