Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, and Bielefeld University's Special Research Unit “Practices of Comparing” invites applications for fellowships at its summer school on historical theory for historical research. The six-day summer school will provide an introduction to theories of history in general and four approaches in greater detail. We will start with a general reflection on the “Theory of History”, and then focus on Practice Theory, Actor-Network-Theory, Systems Theory and Discourse Theory. The master classes will be led by Achim Landwehr, (Düsseldorf University), Ethan Kleinberg and Gary Shaw (both Wesleyan University), and Angelika Epple and Franz-Josef Arlinghaus (both Bielefeld University).
Clear introductory sessions to these complex theories will be followed by critical team-taught classes and student-centered, hands-on sessions that try to understand how these theories might actually be used in historical practice and in concrete discussion of historical documents and problems. The history of the practice of comparison will provide some thematic content to unify our discussions.
Classes will be held at Bielefeld University. Student Fellows will be selected upon application. Fellows will need to prepare some of the readings in advance of coming to Bielefeld. There will be no tuition charged and accommodation will be provided without charge. Fellowships also include reasonable travel costs.
For further information please visit http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/sfb1288/summer-of-theory.html.
Applications for fellowships are welcome from graduate students holding a BA degree and pursuing an advanced degree or planning to do so in any historical field or period. No more than 25 fellows will be accepted. To apply please send a CV and a letter of application explaining why you are interested in participating, what field you are working in and which theories would interest you most. You might also send an abstract/excerpt of a thesis or research paper. Please send the documents, preferably in one .pdf-file, to Estelle Legoix, mail: summer-of-theory@uni-bielefeld.de. Complete applications should be received by February 16, 2018.

Organizers:
Franz-Josef Arlinghaus, Universität Bielefeld
Gary Shaw, Wesleyan University, Connecticut, USA