Keynote speakers:
Małgorzata Mazurek (Columbia University, NYC)
Pap Ndiaye (Sciences Po, Paris)
For the contemporaries of the 21st century, mobility often seems to lie at the heart of lived experience. International conferences or student mobility programmes like the European ERASMUS – now in its 30th year – shape the perceptions of young academics. However, mobility is encouraged not only by marvellous opportunity, but also out of urgent necessity. In recent years, millions of people from the Global South have been forced to leave their home countries for political or economical reasons, creating new challenges for the receiving societies.
The current prominence of mobility has inspired multiple enquiries in its historicity: Certainly, mobility of people and ideas is not a recent phenomenon. The 12th annual GRACEH, organised by the University of Vienna, Central European University (Budapest) and European University Institute (Florence), will focus on historical manifestations of movement. We perceive movement as an omnipresent phenomenon, not limited to people. It also embraces ideas, technology, scientific concepts, concepts of the state and governance, the circulation of goods, cultural practices, and more.
In order to establish a space for a productive discussion, we invite graduate students from the humanities and social sciences to reflect with us on the following themes:
Historical Research on the Move:
Theoretical debates on mobility: their essence and forms, epistemic approaches and methodological perspectives as well as paradigm shifts. We encourage an open discussion with the aim of reflecting and expanding on the existing theoretical framework in order to illuminate less researched types of movement. Furthermore, we address basic requirements of mobility, as well as transformation and change occurring in this field over time.
People on the Move
Actors, circumstances, experience, memory, identity, and “otherness.” We regard mobility as an essential part of human experience, shaping people and practices. Who moved for what kind of reasons and purposes and under which conditions? How did mobility of people affect the social, political, economical and cultural dimension within their destinations, places of origin and travel hubs?
Ideas on the Move
Transfer of knowledge, change of paradigms, advancement of technology. Ideas, as well as people, are constantly in motion. All boundaries—gender, class or even state borders—function within a continuum between rigidity and fluidity.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
Analysis and comparison of different types of mobility
Social Mobility
Transfer of Knowledge
Mobility and Space
Gender, Identity, Hybridity and Biography
Narratives of Mobility in Historiography and Historical Pedagogy
Mobility and Emotions
Borders and Frontiers
Flight and Exile
State Administration, Political Movements and Mobility
Labour Migration
Mobility and Economy
Mobility in the Media
Mobility and Environment
Health and Mobility
History of Travel
Paper abstracts of up to 300 words and a brief biography with full contact details (email, telephone, postal address) should be sent to GRACEH2018@univie.ac.at by 1 December 2017. File name of abstract and biography: last name_first name_institution.doc(x). Participants will receive a notification of acceptance no later than 31 January 2018. Final papers (between 5 to 15 pages) should be submitted by 15 March so they can be pre-circulated to commentators in a timely fashion.
Accepted speakers who do not have access to institutional support can apply for financial assistance. For further information, please visit graceh2018.wordpress.com.