Calls for Papers
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Call For Papers: Fitful Histories and Unruly Publics: Rethinking Community and Temporality in Eurasian Archaeology
The Fourth Conference on Eurasian Archaeology
October 11-12, 2012
Cornell University
The fourth Conference on Eurasian Archaeology invites participants to reexamine the relation between the regular rhythms of everyday life and more fitful moments of historical transformation. Traditionally,
Eurasian archaeology has organized its objects of study by creating homologies between prolonged periods of time and homogenous material assemblages. Eurasia’s canonical archaeological cultures are thus
defined not only as socially uniform but also as largely ahistorical, lacking complex temporal logics. With historical process restricted to the macro-scale, transformation can only occur through dramatic upheavals that punctuate timeless eras of socio-cultural continuity and political stasis. This conference aims to reevaluate earlier accounts, providing a sense of the region’s (pre)history at increasingly detailed
scales and recasting formerly monolithic cultures as unruly publics--differentiated communities, shaped by complex fields of social distinction, that resist compression into traditional categories.
Attending to Eurasia’s newly fitful histories and unruly publics from an archaeological perspective entails reconceptualizing the articulation of artifacts and communities, assemblages and archaeological narratives.
Questions of memory, curation, and the linkages between deep pasts and modern concerns necessarily shape the scope of such an inquiry. The 4th Conference on Eurasian Archaeology explores how diverse approaches to time and community, at various scales and from various theoretical perspectives, are giving rise to a new understanding of the region’s past as well as its present. The conference seeks papers that will
contribute new data, new techniques, and new theories to this ongoing re-assessment, grounded in studies that extend from earliest prehistory to the present day and from Eastern Europe to the Far East.
Session themes will likely include:
• Transformation, continuity, and the rhythms of public life
• The matter of memory
• Event and process
• ‘Ends’ and ‘Beginnings’: collapse, abandonment, re-emergence, and resilience
• New techniques in archaeometric approaches to chronology building
• Temporality and field methodology
• Modernity and the ethics of archaeology
• Heritage management and historical representation
• Enabling the ahistorical: concepts and analytics at the heart of a timeless Eurasia
Proposal abstracts of no more than 200 words may be submitted to Eurasia2012 "at" cornell.edu by May 15, 2012.
For updates and information about the conference, please visit http://blogs.cornell.edu/adamtsmith/eac/
Call for Papers: Romanian Review of Eurasian Studies
Romanian Review of Eurasian Studies year VIII, No. 1-2 / 2012 invites professors, researchers and phd students to submit their research articles and reviews for publication until 15 April 2012.
Our journal is indexed in CEEOL, EBSCO, Index Copernicus databases.
Manuscripts should be submitted by one of the authors of the manuscript at the e-mail adresses daniel_flaut "at" yahoo . com and csea_rrse "at" yahoo . com under condition that all authors have seen and approved the submitted manuscript. Articles will be written in Microsoft Word. There is no page limit. Only online submissions are accepted to facilitate rapid publication. Submissions by anyone other than one of the authors will not be accepted. The articles must be written in English, French or German (with an abstract in English). The articles must have keywords, authors affiliation and e-mail addresses of the authors.
Note. Authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of dates contained in the articles, the authenticity and originality and the opinions expressed. These opinions do not involve the editorial board of this journal. However, if the sent articles contain libelous or unlawful statements and contain materials or instructions which might cause injury or harm, will be rejected.
Submitted articles or reviews will be included in a peer review process which takes maximum 3 weeks.
We accept papers in all the periods of history and its related fields: archaeology, cultural studies, international relations, political science, European studies, security studies in Eurasian space.
For any questions, kindly please, send an e-mail to csea_rrse "at" yahoo . com or daniel_flaut "at" yahoo . com . You can also visit our website http://csea.wikispaces.com/
We are looking forward to receiving your articles and reviews.
Conference: “Political Transformation and Social Change in the South Caucasus: Georgia and Armenia in Perspective”
29-30 June 2012, Yerevan
The Academic Swiss Caucasus Net (ASCN) is pleased to announce its 2nd Annual ASCN Conference that will take place this year in Yerevan, Armenia on 29th and 30th June 2012.
Content and Objectives
The conference aims to gather junior scholars and researchers from various disciplines of the social sciences (political science, sociology, anthropology, etc.) involved with the South Caucasus. More specifically, the conference will address the following points of interest:
• It will provide opportunities for researchers vested in Armenia and Georgia to engage, network, exchange and discuss their research projects, papers and findings;
• It will provide a forum for discussion regarding the contradictions and ambivalences of the transformation process in the South Caucasus;
• It will provide a forum for discussion regarding the challenges confronting social science researchers in the South Caucasus.
Call for Proposals
Deadline: 12 March 2012
Eligibility
• PhD students and recent PhD graduates (2008 or later) dealing with Armenia and Georgia that are eager to present and discuss their research work (especially current PhD projects and/or research results) with colleagues from the region and beyond.
The contributions to be presented must deal specifically with Armenia or Georgia. Contributions with a comparative dimension including at least one of the two countries are also accepted.
Topics
Proposals must be linked to one of the following themes:
- Migration, Diasporas and Social Inclusion
- Civil Society, Social Networks and Social Capital
- Media, Discourses and Public Space
- State Power, Governance and Democracy
- National Identity, Minorities, Religious and Cultural Capital
- Social Change (Youth Identity, Youth Employment, Change of Values, etc.)
Selected candidates will have the opportunity to present and discuss their work during one of the thematic panels. No written paper will have to be submitted for the conference; however, participants will receive guidelines for their PowerPoint presentations. Research teams financed by ASCN will also present their research projects, methodology-related issues and results. For more information about ASCN current research projects, please go to the “Research” section of the ASCN website.
Submission Instructions
All interested scholars are requested to submit an abstract (no more than 300 words) of their contribution, a 1-page C.V. and a short motivation letter. Submissions must be sent no later than 12 March 2012 to info "at" ascn. ch and to jan.kreuels "at" ascn. ch with the following email subject: ASCN Annual Conference 2012. All documents must be in English and must be merged into a single PDF file. The result of the selection process will be announced by 10 April 2012.
Venue, Accommodation and Transport
The ASCN programme will cover travel and accommodation expenses for all selected participants. Opportunities for co-financing will arise should the travel costs in individual cases exceed the average expenses per participant attending the conference.
The selected participants will be informed about the programme and the specific conference panels, as well as technical details, in due time.
Website
www.ascn.ch à”Events” section
Further Information
Denis Dafflon, ASCN Programme Manager
info "at" ascn . ch; denis.dafflon "at" unifr . ch
About ASCN
ASCN is a programme aimed at promoting the social sciences and humanities in the South Caucasus (primarily Georgia and Armenia). Its different activities foster the emergence of a new generation of talented scholars. Promising junior researchers receive support through research projects, capacity-building trainings and scholarships. The programme emphasizes the advancement of individuals who, thanks to their ASCN experience, become better integrated in international academic networks. The ASCN programme is coordinated and operated by the Interfaculty Institute for Central and Eastern Europe (IICEE) at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). It is initiated and supported by Gebert Rüf Stiftung.
International Caucasia Congress
April 26 - 27, 2012
Kocaeli University Umuttepe Campus
Turkey
Full information and deadlines: http://icc.kocaeli.edu.tr
Deadline for abstracts – March 9th, 2012, Friday
Accepted abstracts will be announced – March 19th, 2012, Monday
Deadline for full papers – April 13, 2012, Friday
Caucasus as one of the most important regions on earth, strategically, covers 440.000 km2 from Taman Peninsula to Absheron Peninsula, from Don and Kumar Rivers to Aras River and Kars Plateau. The region is between Don River in north and Aras River in south and Caucasus is home to the Caucasus Mountains, the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus.
Caucasus is in the crossroads between north and south and east and west. It starts with inner Russia and spreads out towards Anatolia, Middle East; so it has the old trade roots. The old Silk Road which ties China to Europe is on Caucasus. Caucasus is also an intersection point of energy transportation which is highly important for today’s world.
The main determinant of the region is its multicultural structure. Caucasus is the homeland of different ethnicities. It is one of the rare regions on earth because of the diversity of language and religion.
Because of the geostrategic importance, Caucasus seemed attractive to Huns, Arabs, Mongolians, Ottomans, Persians and Russians. Power struggles over Caucasus in the history affected and shaped the region politically and culturally. Diversity of ethnicities is also affected from these power struggles.
Caucasus can be separated into two regions: North and South Caucasus. North Caucasus includes Adygea, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, Ingushetia and Chechnya which are territories of Russia. South Caucasus covers Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.
Caucasus faced newly independent states and new balance of power emerging from the collapse of Soviet Union. This affected both the countries of the region and the ones which have interests regarding the region. In today’s world Caucasus have a privilege on international affairs because of its rich resources, geopolitical position, geostrategic importance, multicultural structure and ethnic conflicts. The region is also important on the grounds of global security.
“The Silk Road Project”, “Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan Pipeline”, “Baku–Tbilisi–Erzurum gas line”, “Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railroad”, “TRACECA”, “INOGATE” etc. increases the role and the importance of the Caucasus. Because the region is close to the Middle East, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, this makes it priceless. After the collapse of Soviet Union, a vacuum of power emerged in the region. This vacuum makes regional and global powers to follow foreign policies to control the region.
Turkey, as a principle of mutual respect and independency in domestic affairs, aims to diversify and improve the relations with the regions’ countries. Therefore, Turkey hopes to contribute on construction of peace, security and stability in the region by increasing cooperation.
Turkey’s foreign policy approach on Caucasus gives much attention to the consolidation of the region states’ independences, protecting territorial integrity and increasing economical potential. Turkey also support them in membership to the Euro-Atlantic organizations. Unresolved and ongoing conflicts in the region continue to be a major threat to both to the region itself and to the Eurasia. Turkey believes that to the conflicts of the Caucasus can be found peaceful solutions. So economic prosperity and political stability can be achieved and further developments in the region can be possible. Because of all these reasons, with the purposes of achieving and maintaining peace, security and stability in the Caucasus we found that it will be a great experience and opportunity to organize International Caucasia Congress, Kocaeli University as a host and with the partnerships of Eurasian National University and Bilgesam.
The Congress which will be held in 26 – 27th of April, Kocaeli University Umuttepe Campus will contribute to our relations on state level and university level. We look forward to your papers.
Call for Papers: "Neo-Anti-Colonialism vs. Neo-Imperialism: Relevance of Postcolonialism in Post-Soviet Space"
The Kowalsky Eastern Ukrainian Institute (Kharkiv, Ukraine) invites you to take part in the publishing project "Neo-Anti-Colonialism vs. Neo-Imperialism: Relevance of Postcolonialism in Post-Soviet Space"devoted to the discussion of anti-colonial, postcolonial, colonial, and imperial discourses in Eastern and Central Europe, and Eurasia.
The outcome of the project will be a publication of a special issue of the interdisciplinary scholarly journal "East/West" by the end of 2012.
The editorial board is seeking contributions related to the following issues:
* "communication vessels": relationships between (former) metropolis and (former) colonies;
* compensatory policy: a "privilege" of being traumatized and a tendency towards compensation;
* problem of responsibility in postcolonial societies: elites, provincialism, xenophobia;
* actualization of "protective nationalism" as a response to the external aggression and the new wave of colonization;
* challenges of the cultural policy development (language, publishing, education, re-writing schoolbooks, mass media etc.);
* issues of generation gap: generations born in the USSR versus those born in the post-Soviet states (Ukraine, Russian Federation, Belarus etc.);
* postcolonial interpretation of relevant historical events, literary texts, movies, museum exhibitions etc. is also accepted.
In the selection of materials the preference will be given to the texts related to the regions of Eastern and Central Europe, and Eurasia.
We will accept scholarly articles, essays, and reviews of no more than 40,000 characters written in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, English or German together with a brief summary (abstract).
The materials are to be sent to:
Associate Editor: Dr. Gelinada Grinchenko: gelinada.grinchenko " at" gmail .com
Invited Editor: Dr. Tetyana Dzyadevych: dziadevych "at " ukr . net
"East / West" Journal,
The Kowalsky Eastern Ukrainian Institute,
V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 6 Svobody Square,
aud. 486, Kharkiv, 61077 Ukraine.
Phone number: +38 057 705 26 30
Web-site: http://keui.wordpress.com/
We would ask you to inform us of your intention to take part in the project, and to briefly describe the theme of your contribution by January 10, 2012.
The final date for submitting materials to the editorial board is July 1, 2012.
CFP- 10th Annual International Graduate Conference on the Cold War
London, 19-21 April 2012
The LSE IDEAS Cold War Studies Programme (CWSP), The Center for Cold War Studies (CCWS) of the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the George Washington University Cold War Group (GWCW) are pleased to announce the 2012 International Graduate Student Conference on the Cold War.
The conference is an excellent opportunity for graduate students to present papers and receive critical feedback from peers and experts in the field. We encourage submissions by graduate students working on any aspect of the Cold War, broadly defined. Of particular interest are papers that employ newly available primary sources, non-traditional methodologies, or under-investigated aspects of the Cold War.
The conference sessions will be chaired by prominent faculty members from LSE, GWU, UCSB, CWSP research associates, and other prominent Cold War and international historians. This years keynote speaker will be Andrew Preston (Cambridge), author of the forthcoming "Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy."
The author of the best paper will be awarded the Saki Ruth Dockrill Memorial Prize, the opportunity to publish the paper in Cold War History, and a £100 book voucher.
In 2003, UCSB and GWU first joined their separate spring conferences, and two years later LSE became a co-sponsor. The three cold war centres now hold a jointly sponsored conference each year, alternating among the three campuses.
To be considered, each prospective participant should submit a 300 word proposal (original to this conference) and a brief academic CV (in Word or pdf format) to ideas.coldwar@lse.ac.uk, with “Graduate Conference Proposal- YourLastName” in the subject line. Participants must be PhD students (pre-submission) or research-based masters students. The deadline for proposals is 8 January 2012.
The organizers will provide accommodation and meals. Participants may be asked to pay a small attendance fee (not more than £40) and will be responsible for their travel to London.
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/IDEAS/programmes/coldWarStudiesProgramme/Events/LSE-GWU-UCSB%20Graduate%20Conference%20on%20the%20Cold%20War/LSE-GWU-UCSB%20Graduate%20Conference.aspx
CFP: Second Annual Postgraduate Eurasia Research Conference
Conveners: New Research on Central Asia and Caucasus (NRCAC) and The Eurasia Studies Society (TESS).
Venue: School of Oriental and African Studies, London. 18th February 2012.
The first graduate Eurasia research conference in February 2010 at SOAS (London) was attended by graduate students and academics from the UK and Europe. The event covered the following fields: culture, society, economics and natural resources. Upon this success we formed The Eurasian Studies Society (http://eurasiasociety.wordpress.com) and plan to hold a series of annual conferences to enable students and scholars to share their research interests and network.
The event is jointly organised by two new societies: New Research on Central Asia and Caucasus (NRCAC) and The Eurasia Studies Society (TESS). There will be three broad themes: i) culture and society, ii) economics and politics, iii) environment and resource management. We welcome papers from postgraduate students, post-doctorate researchers, independent researchers and journalists. Each presentation will be for 20 minutes in any one of the themes listed below. Pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet themes are all welcome.
Culture and Society: Ethnic minorities, human rights, citizenship, women's issues, identity & nationhood; the modern media, literature, music, sport (folk and modern), & folk culture; historical, anthropological, & Islamic studies; medieval & modern history; architecture.
Economic & Political: Business and market developments; economic transition; International politics and Eurasia
Environment and Resource Management: Environmental problems, climate change & water issues; natural resources and energy issues; international interests in the region's resources.
We will also accept one submission 20 minute (max) pre-recorded video presentation (in MPEG, Windows Player, etc format) from a student or researcher resident within the Caucasus or Central Asia region. If they wish, members of the audience can then contact the presenter through email and ask relevant questions and make observations after the conference.
Submission details:
Papers should include: (1) Name of the presenter (2) Academic position and institutional affiliation (3) Title of the paper (4) Abstract of no more than 300 words (5) Audio-visual equipment needs. Unfortunately we will not be able to provide any financial aid to participants this year. A fee of £10 Sterling will be charged for registration and to cover costs and refreshments. Any questions can be forwarded to either Gaigysyz Jorayev or Sevket
Akyildiz: eurasiasocietyuk "at" gmail .com
Submission deadline is 30th December 2011
The Eurasia Studies Society(TESS)London
Gaigysyz Jorayev or Sevket Akyildiz
Email: eurasiasocietyuk "at" gmail .com
Visit the website at http://eurasiasociety.wordpress.com
2012 Annual SOYUZ Symposium: Affections/Afflictions/Afterlives
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI
March 23-24, 2012
SOYUZ, the Post-Communist Cultural Studies Interest group, invites paper proposals for its 2012 meeting. The symposium has met annually since 1991, and is an intimate forum where scholars (from graduate students to senior faculty) from across the world can exchange ideas.
The 2012 symposium will ponder the sentiments, the failures, and the successes around making do with those ongoing, productive connections that are afforded by infrastructures and procedures conceived during (or in response to) socialism.
How to speak about what lives ?after? without abjecting the ?remains?? Topical foci might draw upon themes current in the humanities and social sciences: biopolitics and biopowers (for instance, bricolage in ways of dealing with affliction, means of training the body, etc.); knowledge-making or sentiment-forming (e.g. recombination of religious, ethnic-folk, scientific, poetic ideologies and resources); material and narrative repurposing; modes of redistribution or (re)portioning of entitlements.
The 2012 symposium will feature a keynote address by Judith Farquhar, Max Palevsky Professor of Anthropology and of Social Sciences and Chair, Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago.
SOYUZ began in 1991 as a regionally focused group responding to the fall of the Soviet and socialist states. Since then, it has broadened to include scholars working in any region touched by socialism, by the oppositions of socialism to capitalism, or by those phenomena formerly known as ?post-socialist.? The 2012 conference organizing committee includes University of Michigan anthropologists working across regions where socialism has figured in important ways: Kelly Askew (Tanzania), Anya Bernstein (Buryatia), Krisztina Fehervary (Hungary), Alaina Lemon (Russia, Romani diaspora), Erik Meuggler (China), Damani Partridge (Germany).
Presentations may work in any discipline (anthropology, history, sociology, literary criticism and film studies, etc.) and may focus on any aspect of social life (religion, politics, kinship, sexuality, exchange, performance, etc.). At the same time, papers must strive to combine ethnographic evidence with theory.
We hope to make a limited number of travel subsidies available to graduate students as well as to presenters from outside the United States.
*The deadline for abstracts is December 15, 2011*
Please send abstracts of 250 words by email to: mlemon "at" umich. edu
Please include your full name, paper title, and academic affiliation, and please write ?SOYUZ 2012? in the subject line. Papers will be selected and notifications made by January 15, 2012.
Sponsors: U-M?s Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; African Studies Center; Center for Chinese Studies; Department of Anthropology; Institute for the Humanities; International Institute; College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; Office of the Vice President for Research; and Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia.
Workshop- Japanese Cultural Influence and in Post-Soviet Space
Dates of the workshop: 5-6 December 2011
Place: Center for Youth Studies, Higher Economic School, St. Petersburg
The workshop is made possible by support from the Academic Development Fund of the Higher Economic School in St. Petersburg
The Center for Youth Studies at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg (Russia), in cooperation with colleagues from Harvard University, will conduct a workshop devoted to discussion of the research problems, theory and methodology for the study of Japanese cultural influence, especially anime-culture, on youth practices and solidarities in post-Soviet countries.
The purpose of this inter-disciplinary workshop is to form an international network of researchers working on the given theme, discussion of current theory and methodology in the study of the growing popularity of Japanese music, theater, film, sports, anime, literature, etc. in the youth context in the post-Soviet space.
The organizers extend the invitation to participate in the workshop to both new and experienced researchers working on this topic. The working languages are Russian and English. If you are not able to participate in the workshop, but are interested in cooperating, we would be glad to include you in the network of researchers, and to inform you in the future about our activities, including planned further workshops, conferences and projects.
The organizers of the seminar have the ability in some cases to provide limited support for coverage of costs of accommodation and travel for workshop participants. Such support is primarily for selected participants from post-Soviet countries, but we welcome applications for participation from researchers from any part of the world as long as they are able to function in English and/or Russian.
Applications for participation in the seminar should be sent to youth.hse.spb " at" gmail . com by 13 November 2011. In the application, you should indicate: your full name; title; place of work/affiliation; position; contact email and telephone numbers; your motivation for participation in the workshop; any needs you may have for support in order to make your participation possible; and a one-page abstract of your proposed presentation.
Organizers:
Guzel Sabirova, Center for Youth Studies (Higher School of Economics, St. Petersburg, Russia)
John Schoeberlein, Harvard University (USA)/Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan)
Contact Address: youth.hse.spb "at " gmail . com
Call for Papers: Armenians in Post-Communist Europe
The research group ?Armenians in East-Central Europe? of the Leipzig Centre for the History and Culture of East Central Europe (GWZO) seeks contributions to a collection of articles, "Armenians in Post-Communist Europe" (edited by K. Siekierski & S. Troebst).
We are looking for articles that discuss the contemporary presence of Armenian ?historical? communities, new migrants, guest workers etc. in Eastern and Central Europe, including, but not limited to, such topics as: cultural memory; strategies of adaptation; identity change; gender; religion; Armenian transnationalism; cultural, economic and political relations between different Armenian sub-groups, between Armenians and host countries/societies as well as between Armenians in these countries and Armenia, etc. The articles should be based on current research and relate to relevant academic writings and theoretical background of social sciences.
We expect articles of at least 4000 words and not exceeding 8000 words (including notes and bibliography), written in English. All texts will be checked by a native-speaker and in special cases also a translation into
English may be provided. The deadline for submission is April 29, 2012.
We would like to ask all interested scholars to submit abstracts (250-350 words, in English, doc. attachment) until November 27, 2011. Based on these abstracts, a selection of authors to be invited will be made by the editorial board. The authors will be informed about the results of the selection until the end of 2011. Further information regarding expected format of the articles will be sent later on.
The book is planned to be published at the beginning of 2013 by Boehlau Verlag Vienna, as a part of the series Armenians in Eastern Europe(edited by S. Troebst in cooperation with B. Kov=E1cs, Ch. L=FCbke, A. Osipian & K. Stopka).
Abstracts should be sent to: Konrad Siekierski
konradsiekierski "at" yahoo. com
konradsiekierski "at" o2 . pl
Call for articles: *Civil society, international aid, and democratic transitions in the post-socialist world*
East European Politics (previously Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics)
Guest editors: Donnacha Ó Beachain (Dublin City University)
Kateryna Pishchikova (Sant?Anna School of Advanced Studies)
Abel Polese (University of Edinburgh)
*Rationale*
For more than two decades, civil society promotion has been on the agendas of international aid organizations. Starting from the assumption that a vibrant civil society is positively correlated with democratic improvements, country assistance programmes by governments and international agencies have increasingly concentrated on civil society as a primary agent of change. This has had two main effects. On the one hand, it undoubtedly transformed the nature of domestic civil societies and played an important role in a number of transformation processes, such as the so-called ?colour? revolutions. On the other hand, the considerable resources invested in civil society promotion have received more criticism - and even overt backlash - than praise.
Theoretically, this enchantment with civil society has come at the expense of recognising and systematically studying other political forces and their mutually constitutive relations with civil society. What is needed is a recognition of the extent that civil society is shaped by existing political structures and an explicit focus on state-civil society relations as well as on other social and political forces.
This proposed issue aims to fill this gap in the literature by studying the interaction between civil society, international donors and the state in order to explore three questions:
1) what are the limits of democracy promotion strategies that target civil society as the main actor in the socio-political transition of a country?
2) what are the factors that allow civil society to play a role in the effective pluralisation and democratization of a country?
3) what are the diffusion mechanisms that help spread certain civil society strategies across regions and continents and what are the factors of success (or failure) of such diffusion?
In order to address these questions we ask prospective authors not to look at civil society in isolation but to consider complex interactions between civil society and international donors as well as between civil society and the state. We welcome contributions drawing on a number of research traditions ? from social capital literature to institutionalist approaches ? and dealing empirically with civil society-state-donor relations in different country contexts providing a variation as to the level of democracy and degree of statehood ? from authoritarian regimes and so-called ?fragile states? to democratic and semi-democratic countries.
Abstracts (max 350 words) should be sent to apolese "at" ed. ac. uk (backup address abelpolese "at" hotmail. com) and pishchikova "at" gmail. com *before November 1, 2011.*
Prospective authors are welcome to discuss their proposal before submitting an abstract.
Call for Papers: "Postcommunist Corruption: Causes, Manifestations, Consequences"
Havighurst Center for Russian & Post-Soviet Studies 11th Annual International Young Researchers Conference
Organizers: Gulnaz Sharafutdinova and Venelin Ganev
Miami University
Oxford, OH
March 29 – April 1, 2012
After more than two decades of research on post-communist transformations, a consensus has emerged that corruption is a major phenomenon associated with the evolution of the former "second world."
The purpose of this conference is to explore the analytical, conceptual and comparative dimensions of this phenomenon and to examine recent empirical findings and field work on corruption in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. We are particularly interested in questions such as: What is the heuristic potential, as well as the possible shortcomings, of currently available typologies of post-communist corruption? Is there anything historically distinct about post-communist corruption – or is it a manifestation of broader patterns observable across regions and types of political regimes? What are the most promising strategies for studying the interplay of local factors (such as the multifaceted legacies of socialism) and international developments (such as the emergence of globalized political, economic and institutional contexts) that shape corrupt practices in post-communism? How have such practices evolved over the last twenty years, and how do they vary across time and space? What important aspects of post-communist socio-political orders can be explained as a consequence of enduring and institutionally embedded forms of corrupt behavior?
We invite submissions that demonstrate both analytical rigor and sensitivity to cultural and historical differences. We are particularly interested in stimulating cross-disciplinary conversations about the nature and significance of corruption and the ways in which empirically grounded studies of this phenomenon may be amalgamated into broader analytical accounts of political, social, economic and cultural change after the fall of communism.
We encourage proposals from young researchers who have already completed their dissertation research (ABD) or have defended their dissertation within the last three years. This will be an intensive 2-1/2 day working conference (March 29-April 1, 2012) during which each of the selected papers will be critiqued by the other participants, including all invited presenters, keynote speakers, and a team of discussants made up of Miami University faculty.
The Havighurst Center will provide accommodation in Oxford, ground transportation to and from the airport, and partial travel funding ($300 for domestic travel and $800 for international travel).
To be considered for the conference, submit an abstract of approximately 250 words and a short CV to havighurstcenter@muohio.edu <mailto:havighurstcenter@muohio.edu> by November 1, 2011.
Please type "*2012 Young Researchers Conference*" as the subject of the email. Selected papers will be announced by January 1, 2012.
Questions can be directed to:
The Havighurst Center for Russian & Post-Soviet Studies Miami University Harrison Hall, Room 116 Oxford, OH 45056
(513) 529-3303
havighurstcenter "at" muohio. edu
Call for Papers: Colloquium: Cultural Construction in the USSR and States of the Former Soviet Bloc
On March 17-18, 2012, the School of History at the University of Nottingham is hosting a postgraduate colloquium, initiated and organised by its own doctoral students, on the theme of cultural construction in the Soviet Union and states of the former Soviet bloc. The aim will be to explore the origins and nature of cultural discourses and practices in government, academia, the intellectual sphere and everyday life with a view to assessing their influence on the political and social development of these countries.
The organising committee invites PhD researchers in history, modern languages, cultural studies, sociology and related disciplines from UK universities to submit proposals for papers. The organisers and sponsors of this colloquium hope that the exchange of ideas among scholars will facilitate the emergence of new avenues in scholarly discussion about state actions and human experiences under communist regimes in the twentieth century.
Proposed topics for the colloquium include, but are not limited to:
- cultural revolts and resistance;
- the dissident movement in socialist states and its discourses;
- popular alternatives to socialism: methodological, analytical and discursive aspects of the problem;
- formal and informal collectives of culture figures;
- art as oppositional practice;
- the role of space, place and material culture in building socialism;
- cross-cultural comparison of socialist cultural construction;
- the dynamics of cultural change under socialism;
- styles and dynamics of the socialist performance;
- gender and subjectivity under socialism;
- gender and art under socialism;
- institution building under socialism;
- censorship within the socialist states, and its power dimensions;
- censorship and subjectivity;
- ideological dimensions of art and socialist realism;
- the disciplinary function of a socialist state: methods of control and punishment;
- surveillance and the repressive system of a socialist state: structure and mechanisms;
- bribery and privileges under socialism;
- dilemmas of the intelligentsia: conformism vs. resistance;
- individual and collective identity under socialism;
- various aspects of contemporary views and discourses about former socialist states;
- statistical perspectives of building socialist culture.
Proposals, including a title, abstract (approx. 300 words) and one-page C.V., should be submitted by October 23, 2011 to Susanne Sklepek (ahxss2 "at" nottingham.ac.uk). Applicants will be notified about the acceptance of proposals within two weeks after the submission deadline.
Presentations should be limited to 15 minutes, to be followed by discussion. Pre-circulation of a draft of the paper is mandatory one month prior to the start of the conference. Some very limited funding might be available.
Organising Committee: Susanne Sklepek, Olga Bertelsen, Andru Chiorean, Filip Boicu.
Funding bodies (to date): BASEES, School of History-University of Nottingham.
Call for Papers: "Lived religion" in the USSR: Survival and Resistance Under Forced Secularization
International Conference, 16-18 February, Moscow
Organizers: Center for the Study of Religion, Russian State University for the Humanities; Center of the Religious and Church History, Institute of Universal History, Russian Academy of Sciences; Forschungsstelle Osteuropa an der Universität Bremen; Centre d'études franco-russe de Moscou
For the last two last decades there have been many studies on the history of religious policies and Church-State relations in the Soviet Union. Large amounts of archival material has been revealed and explored. There has been much less research, though, on "lived religion," religious practices, and everyday religiosity throughout the seventy-plus years of the communist rule. This conference will address these issues.
The conference will cover the entire Soviet period and all religious traditions.
This is a tentative list of issues to be addressed:
--The movements of religious reform/renovation of the early 20th century and its impact in religious practices of the Soviet period.
--The impact of repressive government policies on shaping religious practices; religious responses and eschatological reactions; creating new forms of survival, reproducing old traditions, etc.
--Conformist, adaptive, protest and other types of responses to "Soviet modernity."
--Typology and analysis of religious subcultures and niches emerging in the Soviet Union; exploring "popular," "elite," "official," and "alternative" religiosity.
--Transformation of sacred space under repressive policies: temples, sacred places/objects, their worship and their suppression.
--Urban and rural religious practices; urbanization as a factor of religious change.
--Practices at the inter-religious borders: preserving identity, growing tensions, and/or inevitable interaction and alliances?
--Consequences of the Soviet religious experience in the post-Soviet societies.
The conference is planned for February 16-18, 2012, in Moscow, at the Russian State University for the Humanities (RGGU). Paper proposals must include name, affiliation, title and an abstract of no more than 200 words. The applications should be sent no later than October 15th, 2011 at the email: Religion.USSR "at "g mail . com.
Contact us via above email or by phone at the Center for the Studies of Religion, RGGU: 7-499-2506340.
Alex Agadjanian
Center for the Study of Religion
Russian State University for Humanities
Moscow, Russia
Email: religion.ussr "at " g mail . com
Call for Papers: The Religious Underground in the USSR
November 18 to 19, 2011
Chernigov, Ukraine
Organized by the Shevchenko University of Chernigov, with the participation of the Memorial Information Center and members of the Keston Institute
Dear Colleagues:
We invite you to participate in Ukraine's first international convention examining "The Religious Underground in the USSR", organized by a group of Ukrainian educational and cultural organizations under the leadership of the Shevchenko University of Chernigov. The conference will be held in Chernigov, Ukraine, on the 18th and 19th of November, 2011. The organizing committee also includes the Memorial Information Center (Moscow, Russia), and is being advised by members of the Keston Institute (Oxford, U.K.).
Although religious resistance to the totalitarian regime in the USSR has been studied in the West for over fifty years, it lacks attention of a similar scope from native scholars. Such attention is critically important now, because of the dangerous trend in Russian and Ukrainian scholarship that many Western scholars have noted, of rewriting recent Russian and Ukrainian history to reflect the politics and concerns of current regimes. This is especially true in matters concerning the Church.
The international convention "The Religious Underground in the USSR" aims to inspire dialogue between Western and Eastern students of this phenomenon, and to attract the attention of younger scholars. Several widely known scholars in the field have already offered to present papers at the convention, including Rev. Michael Bourdeaux, Xenia Dennen, Vladimir Moss, Lev Regelson, Mikhail Shkarovskii, Irina Osipova, Lydia Sikorskaia, and Rev. Aleksei Lebedev.
An exhibit presenting the history and achievements of the Keston Institute is planned for the convention. Copies of items from the Keston Archive located at the Baylor University (Texas, USA) will be displayed, including unique documents and photographs witnessing the history of religious persecution in the USSR. The conference program also includes excursions around the city of Chernigov, led by the members of the National Association "Historical Chernigov."
We invite papers describing underground religious movements and activity in the USSR from various perspectives: historical, political, theological, and sociological. Papers presented at the conference will be published in the conference proceedings which will be distributed by the organizing committee to Western and Russian and Ukrainian academic libraries.
Deadline: September 30, 2011
Contact:
Prof. Svetlana Shumilo veraigizn " at" rumbler. ru or
Sister Tatiana sistertatianaspektor "at" g mail. com
CFP: Tenth Annual Graduate Student Colloquium in Armenian Studies
University of California, Los Angeles, Friday, February 17, 2012
We enthusiastically invite graduate students and recent post-docs (Ph.D., within the last two years) in fields associated with Armenian Studies (broadly defined) to present their recent research. Work in progress is encouraged. We accept papers from a variety of disciplines and welcome comparative themes and interdisciplinary approaches. Panel submissions are also welcome.
Applicants must e-mail presentation abstracts of no more than 250 words and their curriculum vitae by September 18, 2011. Please attach the required documents in the form of a Word document. Please note that a 20-minute time limit for presentations will be strictly enforced (roughly 8-10 pages double-spaced). Invited participants will be required to submit a final version of their full presentation by December 18, 2011.
A reception will be held on the Wednesday evening prior to the event to welcome the colloquium speakers. Students will have an opportunity to meet with faculty and students on campus, tour Armenian Studies resources, and visit Armenian Studies classes. The colloquium will conclude with a reception.
Priority of acceptance will be given to those who have not presented at the colloquium before. Limited travel grants will be available to assist those who would otherwise be unable to attend. Travel grant applications will be sent to all invited participants.
To submit abstracts or for more information contact the UCLA Armenian Graduate Students Association Colloquium Committee at colloquium.agsa "at" gsa.asucla.ucla.edu.
Call for Papers: Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies, v. 20
The JSAS editorship is now accepting submissions for volume 20 of the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies.
Please insure that your submission is formatted in accordance with the guidelines of the JSAS that have been posted to the following address: http://armenianstudies.csufresno.edu/sas/JSASmain.htm
Submissions should be sent in by September 1, 2011, in order to be considered for this volume.
All submissions must be electronically submitted in .doc or .docx format and in .pdf formats to the following address: slaporta "at" csufresno. edu
Submissions may concern any field within Armenian or related subjects; each submission will be judged according to the academic quality of the work. All submissions will undergo a peer review process.
Armenians of Ukraine: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
September 24-25, 2011
Conference Hall of the Crimean Museum of Ethnography
18 Pushkin Street
Simpheropol, Ukraine
This 4th Academic and Research Conference is coordinated by the Affiliated Armenian Studies Center of the Armenian Union of Ukraine in cooperation with the Crimean Museum of Ethnography.
Abstracts must be submitted by before August 25 2011.
Conference Topics
1. Armenian-Ukrainian relations: from antiquity to modern times.
2. Armenian settlements in Crimea and other regions of Ukraine in the Middle Ages.
3. The history of the Armenian settlements in Crimea and other regions of Ukraine in the 18th and the beginning of the 20th century.
4. The history of the Armenian Church in Crimea and other regions of Ukraine.
5. Relocation of the Crimean Armenians to the province of Azov.
6. Ukrainian Armenian Culture: from the Middle Ages to our days.
7. Armenians in USSR (Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic).
8. Armenia – Ukraine: Dialogue of Cultures.
9. Armenian Schools in Ukraine: parish schools, specialized schools, 7-year schools.
10. Armenian Charity organizations.
11. Ukrainian Societies and Ukrainians in Armenia.
12. Renaissance of the Armenian Community in Ukraine (the end of 20th and the beginning of 21st centuries).
13. Ukrainian –Armenian diplomatic relations.
14. General Armenian Studies.
There will be two sections:
1. Ancient and Medieval History
2. New and Modern History
Working languages of the Conference: Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian and English
The Conference Proceedings will be published after the Conference in 2012.
Transportation, accommodation and food is not provided.
Please, fill out the registration form, so we could book the hotel room for you and prepare the equipment. We are also organizing cultural program and local tours.
Preliminary Conference Program
September 24, 2011. Conference opening, plenary session, section meetings
September 25, 2011. Sections meeting, summing up, Conference close
Requirements for the Abstract and the Paper
Please follow the requirements for abstract and paper to facilitate publishing of your materials. Please fill out the registration form and send it to us (preferably with the abstract) no later than August 25th 2011.
Requirements for the Abstract:
The abstract must be in typed, single-spaced format using 11 pt font (Times New Roman); page: left indentation 4 cm, top and bottom 2 cm; paragraph indentation 1 cm.
The abstract should not exceed 4000 symbols.
Requirements for the paper:
The paper should not exceed12 type-written pages; Times New Roman 14; automatic carry-over; 29 lines on page; 60 symbols in line; last name of the author and name initials - in the right upper corner of the page; name of the city – below the name of the author. References – in square brackets; first figure – position number, second – page number in the text. Please use alphabetical index for the bibliography. The print-outs of the papers for publishing + their electronic versions on CD-R disks have to be submitted to the Organizing Committee at the Conference.
For all the electronic submissions Microsoft Word (*.doc) should be used.
Attention. Please, check your papers before sending; electronic and printed versions should be identical. The Organizing Committee reserves the right to edit or remove fragments in question after informing the author.
For additional information please contact the Organizing Committee members.
Ani Grigorian e-mail: armani82008 "at" rambler. ru, phone: 050-222-17-91;
Natalia Tamamian: e-mail: kamilla7508 "at" mail. ru, phone: 050-564-40-11.
Please, send registration forms and abstracts to: Olga Gherardini: e-mail: gherardini "at" ararat-online. ru
Call for Papers: Caucasus International (CI): Social Media in Politics and Foreign Policy: Can it Transform Eurasia?
The Caucasus International (CI) is accepting submissions for journal's autumn 2011 issue, to be published in September.
Issue Title:
Social Media in Politics and Foreign Policy: Can it Transform Eurasia?
Submissions Deadline: August 15, 2011
Topics:
Social Media Revolutions
Social and Traditional Media: Which is more transformative?
Social Media and Business Transformation
Social Media as a Political Tool
The Geopolitics of Social Media
Thought Leadership through Social Media
Prospective authors should submit 3.000-6.000 word articles for consideration in Microsoft Word-compatible format. For the full details about the journal see the Notes for Contributors section or feel free to contact the editors. Articles submissions should be sent in electronic format to: editor "at" caucasusinternational.com
CI's key goal is to foster stimulating dialogue and exchange of ideas on the Caucasus and beyond among practitioners, researchers and theorists from the region itself and abroad. The Publishers and Editors accept only the responsibility of giving authors a chance to express differing analyses to engage in intellectual debate. Manuscripts submitted to CI should be original and challenging, and should not be under consideration by another publication at the time of submission.
Caucasus International is a Baku & Ankara-based academic journal that discusses policymaking in and on the Caucasus as well as the region's role in the global context. Each issue of the journal will focus on a global or regional theme and includes perspectives from authors from different countries and backgrounds. The journal focuses largely on the Caucasus neighborhood, but does so with a global outlook.
More information: http://cesran.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1257&Itemid=119&lang=en
Call for Papers: <Region> Journal
The regional studies journal <Region> invites the submission of original manuscripts on topics relevant to the Aims & Scope, as illustrated below. The very first issue of <Region> will be devoted to the theme "The Second Decade of Post-communism" (see the enclosed description). We encourage interested researchers to submit papers reporting and analyzing political, historical, social, and cultural transitions in the post-Soviet period, with a focus on the recent ten years. If you prefer to write about something other than this specific topic, you are also welcome to submit a paper to be published in one of the subsequent issues.
Aims & Scope
<Region> will be a peer-reviewed international journal that explores the history and current political, economic, and social affairs of the entire former Soviet bloc. In particular, the journal will focus on various facets of transformation at the local and national levels in the aforementioned regions, as well as the changing character of their relationships with the rest of world in the context of glocalization. The following topics will be most prominently featured:
- Regional identities in globalized societies
- Communication and transmission of information
- Migration and boundaries
- Transition: politics, economy, society, and culture
- Theories and methodologies of regional studies in the context of "globalization"
- Imagined territories: cyber space, urban vs. rural, center vs. periphery, etc.
- Inter-regional cooperation
- Identities in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, memories, and nostalgia
This journal will be distinguished from others in similar fields by its (g)locally oriented perspective. This journal will also regularly give a certain portion of space to articles on concrete local issues written by local Eurasianist scholars.
Editorial Board
Editors-in-chief
Siegelbaum, Lewis (History, Michigan State Univ., USA)
Hong, Wan-Suk, (Politics, Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies, Korea)
Managing Editor
Jung, Hakyung (Slavic Linguistics, Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies, Korea)
Editors
Avdokushin, Evgeny (Economy, Moscow State Univ., Russia)
Clowes, Edith (Literature, Univ. of Kansas, USA)
Dobrenko, Evgeny (Literature & Film, Univ. of Sheffield, UK)
Epstein, Dan (Politics, Colgate Univ., USA)
Goldman, Marshall (Economy, Harvard, USA)
Golosov, Grigory (Politics, European Univ., Russia)
Goscilo, Helena (Literature & Film, Ohio State Univ., USA)
Guihai, Guan (Politics, Pekin Univ., China)
Hong, Wan-Suk (Politics, Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies, Korea)
Kononenko, Natalie (Folklore, Univ. of Alberta, Canada)
Krylov, Mikhail P. (Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia)
Lovell, Stephen (History, King?s College London, UK)
Petrov, Nikolai (Politics, Carneigi Moscow Center, Russia)
Raleigh, Donald J. (History, Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA)
Ransel, David (History, Indiana Univ., USA)
Sakwa, Richard (Politics, Kent Univ., UK)
Siegelbaum, Lewis (History, Michigan State Univ., USA)
Strukov, Vlad (Culture & Film, Univ. of Leeds, UK)
Tangalycheva, Rimma K. (Sociology, St. Petersburg State Univ., Russia)
Watchtel, Andrew (Literature, American Univ. of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan)
Article Submission Guideline
There is no absolute length requirement for manuscripts but the preferred length is 8,000-10,000 words. An abstract of no more than 150 words should be provided at the beginning of the article. If possible, manuscripts should be prepared in MS Word using Times New Roman 12 point font. Double-space abstracts, manuscripts, notes, and indented quotations. Number pages consecutively. Articles should be submitted to Dr. Hakyung Jung (the managing editor) at hakyungj "at" gmail.com.
Call for Papers
We are now accepting papers for the first and subsequent issues of <Region>. As expressed in the Aims & Scope, <Region> will cover a broad range of topics related to any of the former Soviet bloc countries in " as introduced below. Following the publication of the first issue, there will be no thematic restrictions. Manuscript submission for the first and the second issues is due on July 15th, 2011.
The Second Decade of Post-communism (the 1st issue)
The overarching theme of Region?s first issue will be "The Second Decade of Post-communism." Since the fall of the Soviet Union on December 25th of 1991, "transition" has been the most popular keyword of academic discussions regarding the post-communist period. The advent of democratic institutions and market economies has been accompanied by radical changes of political, economic, and social landscape in the former Soviet bloc countries during the first ten years, where many transitional phenomena were rapid, chaotic, and unpredictable. The direction and nature of transitions during the second decade of post-communism (2001-2011), however, dramatically differ from those of the first decade in various aspects.
In Russia, while the first decade is characterized as centrifugal and chaotic, the most notable features of the second decade are centripetal tendencies and order, mostly due to Vladimir Putin's policies aimed at creating a "strong Russia." In social dimensions, the second decade has simultaneously witnessed the growth of the middle class and an increasing gap between the rich and the poor. The burst of migration from the CIS countries reinforced the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural aspects of the society. The most distinctive cultural trope of the last ten years would be "nostalgia," harking back to the Soviet period. Under the regime of Putin, the sentiment of nostalgia and its commercialization have in turn supported the revival of authoritarian tendencies in political and social spheres. Compared to the "liberal" Yeltsin period, the past ten years have seen a restriction on the rights of freedom of speech and media, as well as a constriction of competition.
The former CIS and Balkan states have experienced drastic political changes, some described as color revolutions, such as the Orange Revolution in Ukraine (2004), the Rose Revolution in Georgia (2003), and Kyrgyzstan's Tulip Revolution (2005). These non-violent revolutionary waves against corrupt authoritarian regimes constitute an interesting contrast with the retro-trends of the Russian Federation.
Alternatively, Eastern European countries have continued and expedited changes of their own w