Labnet: CfP: 1989-2009: the East European revolutions in perspective - London 10/09

[labnet at lists.labourhistory.net]

[Cross-posted, with thanks, from H-Soz-u-Kult. AB]

From:    Ulf Brunnbauer <ulf at zedat.fu-berlin.de>

Debatte: Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe
16.10.2009-17.10.2009, London
Deadline: 30.03.2009

Rationale

Debatte is marking the twentieth anniversary of the revolutionary
upheavals of 1989 by inviting scholars and students of Central and
Eastern Europe to reflect upon the events of that year, their causes and
processes, and the ensuing transformation of the region.
 
In line with Debatte's credo, the conference encourages critical and
inter-disciplinary contributions. Especially welcome are papers that: 
- examine the part played by social movements in overthrowing regimes
and bringing about democratic change;
- explore the power relations involved in the post-1989 restructuring of
Central and Eastern Europe;
- look afresh at the seminal contributions and debates in this area of
research;
- investigate ways in which research on 1989 and the transition has
affirmed, deconstructed or challenged dominant ideological conventions.

Topics for inquiry
Promising areas for papers include:

- The dissolution of the Soviet system. The roles played by relative
economic decline, military competition, social and cultural change, the
Western media. Comparison with the trajectory of 'communism' elsewhere:
China, North Korea, Cuba etc.
- Revolution and social change. The question of the 'revolutionary'
nature of the events of 1989. Comparative revolutions and
pseudo-revolutions. The contribution of social movement theories to
analysing processes of mobilisation etc. in 1989. The history of
dissident, resistance and reform movements.
- Post-1989 transitions:
-- Geopolitical: Russia and the West; E.U. enlargement; 
-- Geo-economic: Central and Eastern Europe's changing location within
the global division of labour; labour migration.
-- Geo-ideological: what has become of the Cold War mentality?; the
repositioning ('othering'?) of Central/Eastern Europe within Western
discourse.
-- Economic: neoliberal reform; 'shock therapy'; comparative economic
policy.
-- 'Bringing labour back in': working-class recomposition and industrial
relations.
-- Political and social: expansion and privatisation of the public
sphere; the restructuring of social power ; elite continuities and
discontinuities; democratisation and 'managed democracy'; the evolution
of Communist parties and of pre-1989 currents of dissidence and
resistance; changing gender roles and relations; old and new
nationalisms (including the break-up of Yugoslavia); the environment,
transport and climate change.
-- Anthropological: cultures of everyday life; the ethnography of
societies in 'transition'; new forms of division and exclusion; 
-- Cultural: new freedom, new censorship; the changing role of the
artist; developments in cinema, literature, art and music; the creation
of collective memories and narratives of the pre-1989 era.
- Historiography of post-1989 Central and Eastern Europe: assessing the
debates and breakthroughs; identifying gaps and silences in the
scholarly literature.

Call for papers and panel proposals
Submission of a panel proposal: The proposal should be no longer than
500 words, and should include the panel convenor's full name, title,
institutional affiliation and mail and e-mail addresses, as well names,
institutional affiliations and e-mail addresses of at least two other
panel participants.

Submission of abstracts: The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30
March 2009.

To be considered for inclusion in the conference volume, abstracts must
be submitted by 30 September 2008 and papers of 6-9,000 words by 16
November 2008.


Keynote speakers
To be announced.

Contacts
For updates (on speakers, venue, etc.) go to
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/0965156X.asp

Questions, as well as submissions of panel proposals and abstracts,
should be directed to Gareth Dale, <gareth.dale at brunel.ac.uk>

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gareth Dale

Brunel University, London
Gareth.Dale at brunel.ac.uk 

Homepage <http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/0965156X.asp> 

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