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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
IASTE 98 - CALL FOR PAPERS
SIXTH CONFERENCE, DECEMBER 15-19, 1998 CAIRO, EGYPT
MANUFACTURING HERITAGE / CONSUMING TRADITION:
Development, Preservation and Tourism in the Age of Globalization
Amidst the monotony of global high capitalism, there is an increasing demand for built environments that promise unique cultural experiences. Many nations are resorting to heritage preservation, the invention of tradition, and the rewriting of history as forms of resistance against the homogenizing forces of modernity and globalization. While this interest in local heritage may have been initiated during the era of colonialism, it was principally forged in the crucible of the independence struggles. In its early years, the nation-building enterprise generated a demand for historic monuments and symbolic buildings. Today, as these recently independent nations compete in an ever-tightening global economy, they find themselves needing to exploit their natural resources and vernacular built heritage to attract international investors. Tourism development has consequently intensified, producing entire communities that cater almost wholly to, or are even inhabited year-round by, the "other." Understanding both heritage preservation and tourism development requires a contextual grounding in history and political economy. For example, studies of colonial urbanism have provided us with valuable insights into the politics of how heritages are defined and preserved. Similarly, the macro-economy of global production and investment provide a critical backdrop to the dynamics of tourism. This economy has generated consumers seeking "difference" and "hospitality" as economic goods, as well as suppliers who make their living catering to this demand. What does this mean for the study of the built environment? Although both the First and Third Worlds may have equally strong desires to share in the culture of the "other, their approaches to conservation and development are not similarly motivated. The Third World, on the one hand, attempts to emulate the "progress" of the First World and to adopt its developmental practices, but wishes to do so without the consequent destabilization of its local cultures. The First World, on the other hand, appears more interested in consuming the cultures and environments of Third World societies, and often advocates their preservation as part of a larger universal built heritage.
IASTE has always been dedicated to studying traditional dwellings and settlements as a means of exploring the conflicts brought about by the necessity of adaptation and change. Once again, it invites specialists from such disciplines as architecture, art history, anthropology, archaeology,folklore, geography, history, planning, sociology, urban studies, and related areas to propose papers and panels which address the following themes:
The role of the state and institutions of civil society in the politics and discourses of preservation and conservation
Invocations of vernacular tradition in the architecture of new tourism development and the uses of culture in the development of new communities
The preservation of the vernacular built environment and traditional lifestyles in the project of development
The rise of multiculturalism as a new paradigm in social practice and the resulting struggles over urban form
Invocations of ethnicity, nationalism, and religion as mechanisms of resistance against global commodification
Built environments as simulated representations of the historic and cultural Other
Transformations in traditional urban settings: Global forces and local trends
Sustainable tourism development and the possibilities of ecologically sensitive architecture
Globalization, the emergence of an information society, and the rise of placeless cultures
Invocations of tradition in the practice and pedagogy of architecture
Vernacular sets: The built environment as prop for staged events
Tourism development: Ideology and myth making
The appearance and realities of ecotourism
Changes in traditional rituals as a consequence of tourism
Interested colleagues are invited to submit a short, 500-word (one page, single-spaced) abstract accompanied by a one-page curriculum vitae. Authors should specify one of the above session topics for their paper. Proposals for complete panels and poster sessions are also welcome. All papers must be written and presented in English.
Following a blind peer-review process, papers may be accepted for presentation and/or publication. Contributors whose abstracts are accepted will be asked to prepare a full-length paper (20-25 pages, double-spaced including diagrams, photographs and drawings), and to pay conference registration fees in the amount of US$300 (hotel accommodations, travel, and optional excursions will not be covered by registration fees).
Deadline for receipt of abstracts and CV
February 15, 1998
Notification of accepted abstracts for conference presentation
April 15, 1998
Deadline for registration & receipt of papers for possible publication in the IASTE Working Paper Series
September 15, 1998
A half day trip to Islamic Cairo and a full day trip to Pharaonic sites around Cairo, scheduled as conference events, will be made available to conference participants for an additional fee.
Conference Site and Travel Agent
The conference will be held at the Hotel Sofitel Maadi, Cairo, Egypt. In order to avail of special conference rates, hotel reservations - accompanied by full payment - will have to be made with the designated travel agent by September 1, 1998. Additional excursions to Sinai (St. Catherine's) and the Red Sea (Sharm el Sheikh) and/ or Nile cruises
from Luxor to Aswan will also be available through this travel agent. General information will be available at IASTE starting February, 1998. For detailed information and reservations, contact:
Laila El Hosseiny
Mediterranean Tours and Travel6,8 El Borsa St. Kasr El Nil St.=20
PO Box 1098, Cairo 11511, Egypt
Phone: 20-2-3921941/ 3920904/ 3928879; Fax: 20-2-3937666
Under the Auspices of Dr. Farouk Ismail, President, Cairo University,Honorary Conference Chair
Organizing Committee
Nezar AlSayyad, Conference Director, University of California, Berkeley
Dalila El-Kerdany, Conference Local Co-Director, Cairo University
Jean-Paul Bourdier, Conference Co-Director, University of California,
Berkeley
Ananya Roy, Conference Executive Coordinator, University of California,
Berkeley
Nora Watanabe, Conference Administrator, University of California, Berkeley
Nassamat Abdel Kader, Conference Consultant, Cairo University
Sayed Ettouney, Conference Consultant, Cairo University
Basil Kamel, Conference Liaison, University of California, Berkeley/ Cairo
University
Send all inquiries and abstracts to:
IASTE '98 Conference
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