[URBANTH-L]CFP: 7th Postgraduate Conference: Inclusion/Exclusion

[Angela Jancius]

7th Postgraduate Conference: Inclusion/Exclusion

http://www.ssees.ucl.ac.uk/pgconf06.htm

London, 16-18th February 2006

The boundary changes that have occurred in Central and Eastern Europe over
the past two hundred years have been far greater than any that have taken
place in Western Europe during the same period. This conference seeks to
address the issues of inclusion and exclusion that have arisen from these
boundary changes. The boundaries of Central and Eastern Europe have been
constantly contested from within and without and continue to shift and
evolve in the wake of the fall of communism. This perpetual change is
reflected through the redefinitions and realignments of identities within
the region. The challenge of the expansion of the European Union in the new
century represents a key factor in the ongoing processes of regional
realignment. Every aspect of identity within the new members, the *old* EU
countries, the candidate states, as well as the regions excluded from the
process has to be reasserted in the face of these dynamics.

At the heart of this evolving process of redefinition or reassertion lie the
notions of *exclusion* and *inclusion*. These concepts inform current
debates at all levels of European society, from the attempted spread of
democracy beyond the old borders, to the exclusion of minority groups from
mainstream economic, political and social activity or the place of minority
languages in the new enlarged Europe. The lingua franca imposed by
information technology threatens to exclude those who do not have at least a
passive knowledge of English. This may also contribute to a new barrier
between the old, once influential intellectuals of the region and young
cosmopolitan intellectuals. The re-evaluation of history, especially that of
the twentieth century, may also have a destabilising impact on the old
narratives and intellectual certainties that have shaped our understanding
of Central and Eastern Europe.

This conference is inviting young academics to submit papers that discuss
current phenomena of inclusion and exclusion in the countries and regions of
Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, including but not
limited to the following themes:
Historical: Pre-communist, Communist-led and Post-communist Nationalisms,
Ethnic Cleansing from the Middle Ages onwards, Jewish Emancipation, Women's
Education, Women before, during and after Communism, Fascist and Communist
Politics of Exclusion.

Cultural: Purism, Lexical Cleansing, Rewriting History, Fine and Performance
Art, Popular Culture, Media, Boundary Reshuffling and Canon Redefinition,
The Impact of Poststructuralist/ Postmodern Thought, National Revival,
National Collapse, Religion.
Political: Power Relations and Agency, New Feminisms in Central and Eastern
Europe, Migration, Political Exclusion, Security, Democratic Transformation,
Integration and Hard Border Regimes.

Economic: Health, Welfare and Inequality, Human Capital and the Knowledge
Economy, Corruption and Informal Practices, Economic Growth and Development,
Business and Entrepreneurship, Corporate Governance.

Social: Insiders and Outsiders in Historical Context, Minority Relations,
Gender Discrimination, Poverty, Citizenship, Health and Education Reforms,
Social Exclusion, The New Middle Class, Traditional Classes - Peasantry,
Intelligentsia and Workers.

We strongly encourage cross-cultural, cross-national and multi-disciplinary
perspectives, with entries on new research methodologies welcomed.

The Committee invites post-doctoral and graduate students in the Humanities
and Social Sciences to submit original research papers for discussion.
Invitation is not limited to academics; we would also like to invite
professionals with sound academic backgrounds and academic interests.


Paper abstracts of up to 500 words and a curriculum vitae should be sent
with full contact details (E-mail, Telephone, Postal Address) to
pgconference at ssees.ucl.ac.uk and/or to 7th Postgraduate Conference, School
of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, Senate
House, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU, UK.

Presented papers should not exceed 20 minutes in length, and must be in
English. The Conference will provide online training in paper presentation
(live 1st November 2005). A selection of the best papers will appear in a
separate Conference publication.

Deadline for submission of abstracts:
31st August 2005

Senior Academic Advisers: Christopher J. Gerry, Geoffrey A. Hosking, George
Kolankiewicz, Alena Ledeneva, Robert Pynsent, Martyn Rady