Call for papers
European Identity and Nationalism
Multi-disciplinary Graduate Student Conference
May 2001, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Sponsored by The Center for Russian, Central and East European Studies;
Comparative Literature Department; and Political Science Department of Rutgers,
The State University of New Jersey.
The recent collapse of communism has challenged the imaginary geography of
"Europe" to include past and recent "others" (e.g., "the Balkans", the "Slavs",
"the
post-Soviets"), to confront the bankruptcy of state socialism, and to make
sense of the idiosyncratic cohabitation of post-modern and pre-modern
world-views. At the same time, Europe is faced with new war fronts of
nationalizing processes at its midst.
Consequently, the configuration of the new "European political identity"
seems to be slipping away from the control of the European Union, as more
voices -- both within and outside the Union -- pronounce that Europe does
not equate with the EU. Exploring European identity leads us into a more
fluid and contested terrain that is at times bigger (narratives of expanding
cosmopolitanism) and at times smaller (narratives of separatism manifested
as aggressive nationalisms). This troublesome but also promising process
of (re-)inventing Europe provides the opportunity to deepen our understanding
of nationalism and its place in Europe, and to identify the dominant modes
of recasting European identity vis-a-vis more particular identities (nationalism,
regionalism, minorities). Meanwhile, we are challenged to re-conceptualize
the representation of the European political identity and its actor/story-teller.
We invite graduate students to participate in this fully interdisciplinary
conference, with organizers from five disciplines--history, anthropology,
political science,
literature, cultural studies -- putting together the panels. The issues that
will be addressed will include but not be limited to:
-Interplay of national and European identities at the threshold of the new
millennium;
-Europe through the eyes of its minorities/immigrants;
-Politics of European representations;
-Imaging the European space from within and from without;
-Europe and imperialism;
-The political economy of nationalism;
-Nationalism and the imperial legacies in Europe;
-Nationalism and theories of modernity/post-modernity;
-Nationalism and race/gender/class/religion;
-National literatures/arts;
-Nationalism and violence/conflict;
-Nationalism and history/genealogy/mythology/memory;
We are also open to other topics as long as they address any aspect of the
relationship between specific national identities and broadly defined
"Europeanness".
Interdisciplinary and methodologically innovative approaches are strongly
encouraged. The conference will comprise panel discussions and round tables.
At the panel discussions, participants will present their own work and engage
in debate. At the round table meetings, participants will explore a single
piece of writing announced by the organizers in advance. The keynote speakers
as well as round table discussions at the conference will be announced at
a later stage.
Please, visit our website periodically for updated information on the program,
speakers, and schedule:
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~crcees/
Please, address your inquiries to:
Yianna Liatsos yianna@rci.rutgers.edu
Serguei Glebov glebov@eden.rutgers.edu
The deadline for abstracts submissions is November 27, 2000.
The abstracts should be no longer than one page and can be mailed, faxed
or sent via e-mail to:
CRCEES
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
172 College Avenue
New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901-8537, U.S.A.
Tel: (732) 932-8551
Fax: (732) 932-1144
Email: crcees@rci.rutgers.edu
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~crcees/
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