Call for Papers at Postsocialism Conference, Russia

Deadline: 20 January 2013
Open to: researchers working on the topics of cultural, political, and social aspects of postsocialism
Venue: Kazan, Russia; April 19-20, 2013

Description

Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University Institute for Comparative Studies of Modernity KFU Center for Cultural Studies of Postsocialism is inviting participants to take part in The International Interdisciplinary Conference: Still Postsocialism? Cultural Memory and Social Transformations in Kazan, April 19-20, 2013  

A limited number of travel grants are available. Those who are interested in applying for travel grants must send the application form and СV by January 20, 2013, and indicate their interest. The conference is supported by the Open Society Institute.

Keynote speakers:

• Prof. Caroline Humphrey (University of Cambridge, UK)
• Prof. Chris Hann  (Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany)
• Prof. Alexander Etkind (University of Cambridge, UK)
• Prof. Jan Kubik (Rutgers University, USA).

More than twenty years have passed since the breakup of the Soviet Union but we are still living in the so-called epoch of ‘postsocialism’. Rejecting the preceding political order, its long afterlife paradoxically keepsthis order alive because of its inability to produce new, more relevant terms of self-definition. In this precarious sense, ‘postsocialism’ is similar to, but also different from, ‘postcolonialism’ and ‘postmodernism’.

The conference aims to discuss these similarities and contrasts. It will present a broad spectrum of empirical research focused on the ‘postsocialist’ processes in the countries and regions that share the socialist past and its memories. In contrast to the optimism of the reformers of the 1990s,  postsocialism does not seem to comply with a linear model of ‘transit’ to a universal endpoint.

Does this mean that postsocialism is cyclical and tends to return to a starting point in a regressive repetition? Or is it an open-ended process of trials and errors, in which the routes and results are variegated and unpredictable? The conference will focus on the complex, multi-dimensional models that are related to cultural memory, generations, hybridizations, contact zones and, finally, trauma and catastrophe.

Reflecting on the current state of postsocialism studies, their concerns include but are not limited to the following questions: How have the relations between ‘the Soviet’ and ‘the socialist’ changed through decades? Which forces are responsible for the successes, failures, and cycles of the transformation? To what extent could the postcolonial concepts be applied to the countries of the postsocialist world? Can we speak about a common postsocialist-postcolonial culture?

Key topics:

• ‘Soviet’/’socialist’ vs. ‘post-Soviet’/ ‘post-socialist’
• Postsocialism and postcolonialism
• The diversity of postsocialisms in a global world
• Cultural studies of postsocialism

Eligibility

The organizers are inviting researchers who are working on the topics of cultural, political, and social aspects of postsocialism. They look forward to receiving submissions that examine the empirical cases and also make theoretical and methodological generalizations. The papers should relate to Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia.

Application

The language of the conference is English. The application form (below) and short CV should be submitted to: psconferencekazan@gmail.com by February 4, 2013.  (20 January 2013 for those interested in the travel grants mentioned above). Applicants will be notified about their acceptance no later than February 20, 2013.

APPLICATION FORM  

Name:
Affiliation and position:
Research interests:
Title of the paper:
Abstract (up to 300 words):
Contact information (address, phone number, e-mail):
Do you apply for funding to cover travel costs? YES (please, specify)  NO
Do you apply for funding to cover accommodation costs? YES (please, specify)  NO

For more information, see the official website HERE.