CfP: Collective Memory, Social Action, and the Uses of History

Call for papers, deadline 20 January 2018

 

Collective Memory, Social Action, and the Uses of History

 

Deadline for Abstract Submission: January 20, 2018

 

From Maryland and Charlottesville to Catalonia, Myanmar, and communities across the globe, this year

has seen a dramatic increase in activism, public debate, and conflict centered on collective memory,

representation, and history. Movements and actors across the political spectrum have claimed historical

narratives to forward sometimes conflicting visions for society. The formation and contestation of

history and collective memory are not new phenomenon and are identifiable across cultures and time

periods. Accordingly, historians and memory studies have long been concerned with the diverse

manifestations of memory and the interaction between past and present in political, cultural, and social

contexts. With these themes prominent in contemporary discourses of nation, identity, and justice, this

conference asks: How has the past been made present and to what ends?

 

 

Call for Papers and Presentations

 

With the goal of better understand the diverse ways individuals, institutions, states, and civil society

have produced, utilized, and contested memory and history, this conference encourages submissions

from various disciplines, fields, geographical areas, and time periods. Additionally, we encourage paper

or presentations submissions from political or movement practitioners outside of the academy dealing

with topics history, memory, and action. Submissions are welcome exploring topics, including, but not

limited to, the following:

 

-- Political and social movements, broadly defined

 

-- History, memory, and the production of knowledge

 

-- The built environment, geography, and media/visual culture

 

-- Feminism, gender, and sexuality

 

-- Race, ethnicity, and class

 

-- Urban/ rural history, indigenous communities, and the environment

 

-- Empire, colonialism, and nationalism

 

-- Religion, ideology, science, and philosophy

 

We will consider submissions from all chronological periods and all geographical focuses.

 

 

Conference Details

 

The 13th Annual History Graduate Student Association conference will provide the opportunity for

academics, graduate students, and community members to present and discuss their research and ideas

with colleagues and peers, and to develop our thoughts and ideas on demanding topics. Presentations

will be grouped into panels to facilitate greater discussion and interaction between scholars.

 

Panels will consist of graduate presenters, a graduate student commentator, and a faculty chair.

 

A prize will be awarded for the best paper.

 

The conference will feature a series of morning and afternoon panels, a lunchtime roundtable, and an

address by our keynote speaker. The conference will conclude with the announcement of the

prizewinner.

 

The conference will take place on March 8-9, 2018 on the flagship campus of the University of Maryland.

 

No registration fee required, breakfast and lunch included.

 

The University of Maryland is also located minutes away from the National Archives, making this conference a great place to not only present your research, but conduct further research as well.

 

 

Submission Guidelines:

 

-- Proposals must be submitted by January 20, 2018 to umdgradhistconference@gmail.com as a

Word or PDF attachment

 

-- Must be no more than 300 words

 

-- Include: scholar’s name, home institution, email address, fundamental research question

addressed, evidence and methodological approaches used, and main argument made.

 

-- Conclusions need not be final, but areas of inquiry must be consistent between proposal and

presentation.

 

-- If selected, participants will be asked to submit a ten to fifteen page final version of their paper

by February 21, 2018.

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